Purse seiner fishing for Pacific anchovy. (Photo: PRODUCE)
PERU
Thursday, February 26, 2015, 01:00 (GMT + 9)
The anchovy-fishing season in southern Peru could be opened in April or May, announced the Head of the Ministry of Production (Produce), Piero Ghezzi.
The minister highlighted that although there is abundance of juveniles, the "significant growth" of the resource biomass recorded in that area ensures the measure can be applied.
Notwithstanding, he stressed they are waiting for Imarpe’s reports to establish the exact date to start fishing activities.
"In the southern region biomass almost tripled, but 98 per cent are still juveniles, but with a size close to the minimum 12 centimetres," he said. The date will depend on the moment the Pacific anchovy reaches adulthood to be fished.
For his part, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Juan Carlos Requejo, emphasized that biomass recovery will be an important factor for fisheries development this year.
"Currently, biomass exceeds 700,000 tonnes and mainly specimens of Pacific anchovy are already reaching the minimum size required for capture (12 centimetres). In fact, on 17 February an exploratory fishing boat set sail to evaluate the evolution of Pacific anchovy along the coast," he told Diario Oficial El Peruano.
According to the National Statistics Institute (INEI), the fisheries sector in 2014 recorded a significant drop of 27.94 per cent, due to El Niño phenomenon impact.
Regarding versions of a new arrival of Kelvin waves (which produce sea warming), Ghezzi described them as irrelevant factors.
"There is alarmism and the reality is that the National Study of El Niño Phenomenon (ENFEN) and Imarpe are reporting that sea conditions are normalizing and at the adequate time, juvenile resources will grow favouring biomass recovery,” he added.
On the other hand, he announced that there is a supreme decree pre-published to create a fleet of smaller-scale fishing, which could be approved in the coming weeks.
The minister stressed that Peru only takes advantage of 100,000 tonnes of marine resources, while China produces 41 million tonnes, and identified as the main cause of this the fact that the country lacks of industrial vessels such as the ones the foreign country has.
He explained that many small-scale boats having a storage capacity of 10-32 tonnes are not eligible to fish Pacific anchovy between mile 5 and mile 10. "So what we're doing is allowing structural changes," Ghezzi said.