Jack mackerel catch downloaded on a fishing vessel hold. (Photo: NOAA)
PERUMonday, February 09, 2015, 23:20 (GMT + 9)
The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) authorized a 75 per cent increase to the quota allocated to Peru for jack mackerel fishing at sea, which involves capturing 7,400 tonnes during 2015.
The Ministry of Production (Produce) recalled that the quota set for 2014 was 4,238 tonnes.
The sharp increase in the quota achieved by the country was described as a major attainment by Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Juan Carlos Requejo, who led the Peruvian delegation that participated in the Third Annual Meeting of the SPRFMO, held last week in Auckland, New Zealand.
The deputy minister also said the approval of SPRFMO Convention was requested before the national Parliament by Supreme Resolution No. 013-2015-RREE. This initiative seeks Peru to have effective participation as a Member of the Convention at the next meeting of the organization, which will be held in January 2016.
Currently, Peru takes pat as a cooperating country and not as a contracting one, that is to say, with right to speak but not vote.
According to the delegates who travelled to New Zealand, this year the Peruvian Government will continue working to strengthen the legal framework regulating fishing activities on the high seas for national and foreign fleet.
At the meeting, the Peruvian delegation informed the SPRFMO on the control measures taken against Damanzaihao, the logistic support vessel, which arrived in Peru in November 2014 and the ships operating associated with it.
In view of suspected infringements performed by this ship before taking the Peruvian flag, (it previously operated under the name of Lafayette, under the Russian flag and after the Mongolian one), Produce did not authorize its departure and assigned inspectors on board to oversee and supervise the development of its activities.
The discovery of irregularities led to Peruvian authorities to initiate disciplinary administrative proceedings against the company owning the ship, Sustainable Fishing Resources SAC.
After knowing the legal reasons and argument of the representatives of the countries present, the SPRFMO adopted by consensus the inclusion of the vessel in the IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing Final List, for offenses committed before its flagging, Andina agency reported.