The fishing industry in Peru suffered significant losses in 2023 and is actively striving to mitigate the negative effects of the rising temperatures of the Pacific Ocean waters on this sector.
The climate event known as “El Niño,” which periodically leads to the warming of ocean temperatures, can result in droughts and floods, causing severe damage particularly in Peru, the world’s leading producer of fish oil and fishmeal made from the Anchoveta species “Engraulis ringens.” This type of anchovy thrives in the cool waters off the coasts of Peru and Chile.
Experts who spoke to Agence France-Presse unanimously agreed that the phenomenon of global warming has intensified and increased the frequency of the “El Niño” events.
Captain Louis Celes and his crew of 20 men attempted to recover from their losses. He says, “We were unable to fish during the first season of the year due to the suspension caused by the high temperatures.”
For this reason, the sector focused on the second phase, which commenced on October 26 and extended through to the past December.
The large fishing vessel, capable of carrying up to 420 tons, approached within a distance of no more than five nautical miles (approximately nine kilometers) from the shore to cast its immense nets, which had yellow buoys attached to their edges.
Within two days, the vessel “Tiburon 7” succeeded in catching one hundred tons of anchovies intended for processing at a factory in Chancay, located 70 kilometers north of the capital, Lima.
Captain Selis believed that the poor yield was due to the impact of global warming in the Pacific Ocean.
Selis clarified that “the sea temperature is four or five degrees higher than its usual temperature.”
He emphasized that “the fishing sector is not prepared to confront the ‘El Niño’ phenomenon for a year or two,” expressing his apprehension that “it could be disastrous” if it were to occur.
The “El Niño” phenomenon, which officially commenced in mid-2023, is expected to persist until May 2024, according to forecasts.
Peru encountered a similar phenomenon known as the “coastal El Niño” at the start of 2023, primarily impacting the coasts of Peru and Ecuador.
The CEO of the National Fishing Company, Eduardo Ferreiros, observed that the fishing industry “is facing its worst crisis in 25 years (…). The absence of the first season has cost us approximately a billion dollars in exports.”
Sales in the sector, from January to September, saw a decline of 26.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics.
Due to the rising temperatures of the oceans, anchovy fish are no longer finding enough plankton to feed on, resulting in a decline in their populations, according to the institute.
Roberto Laren, the manager of “Luciana” Fishing Company in Shankai, stated, “There is no longer food available in the sea and fish are not growing well due to the increase in temperature over recent years.”
He reported that the average length of anchovy fish was 14 centimeters before the year 2020, but today it does not exceed 11.5 centimeters.
The fishing industry accounts for approximately 1.4 percent of Peru’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the crisis currently facing this sector could have dire consequences. This industry employs around 250,000 workers.
