Anchovy capture. (Photo: Produce)
PERUTuesday, December 09, 2014, 02:30 (GMT + 9)
The Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) will appeal the decision -in the first instance – of the Superior Court of Lima that questions the anchovy fisheries management issued by Supreme Decree 0011-2013-PRODUCE. In that sense, the final decision will be left to the Supreme Court of the Republic.
Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Juan Carlos Requejo, recalled that since 2012 several legal challenges to fisheries management have been raised and have been obtained in some cases resulting against and others in favour of the management.
"There are rulings in favour and others against. While the issue is not resolved ultimately, the fisheries management continues," he argued, after confirming that the decision of the Fourth Board chaired by Carbajal Portocarrero will be appealed.
The deputy minister argued that PRODUCE has shown that fisheries management has been conducted in the framework of recognized exclusive jurisdiction of the Ministry of Production, without breaching the Fisheries Act and based on scientific evidence provided by Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE).
"The discussion was about whether there was scientific basis or not, but it has been shown to exist through reports issued by IMARPE," he stressed.
The deputy minister Requejo was emphatic when stating that the fisheries management has made it possible to have better control of fishing activities at artisanal, small-scale and industrial fishing scale. It has also led to improved monitoring capabilities by PRODUCE and the scientific capabilities from IMARPE.
He added that it is not possible to assign the performance of the sector this year to the fisheries management, as these are derivatives of El Niño phenomenon and the increase in Kelvin waves, as IMARPE indicates. "Without the management, perhaps there would have been worse results," he stressed.
Finally, he argued that the Ministry of Production continues improving anchovy fishery management on the basis of the respect for fishing zones reserved for direct human consumption.