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Food / Feature Articles

Chasqui: Year 2, Number 4, August 2004

Bibliographical fishing: An appetizing volume on Peruvian "Cebiches" and the Golden Book
of the National Fishery Association

Praising Aquaculture
Pedro Trillo

The fishing sector in Peru will only be able to grow within the next ten years if we establish a firm State policy favouring aquaculture. Our main fishing grounds for pelagic species like anchovies, sardines and mackerel have been fully exploited and the volumes of catch achieved in 2000 for the production of fish meal and fish oil were ten million tons (9,750,000 MT). This is the maximum limit, which is very much higher than the historic average for the last twenty-five years [...].

Our fishing grounds for demersal fish like hake are constantly off limits, having been affected by the El Niño phenomenon and, according to others, by constant over-fishing practices. The recovery of this biomass could take several years, therefore it can no longer be considered the driving force behind the fishing sector.

So far, it is evident that aquaculture has not achieved the progress and expansion that Peruvian society expected, given its enormous development potential. Aquaculture is the only fishing activity capable of generating high growth rates, wealth and employment, since there is a demand in the world market and, at the same time, it requires labour-intensive technological processes. Consequently, it is an ideal investment in a poor country with limited capital.

Aquaculture is an economic activity that can only exist over time if a firm and consistent protection on the dynamic balance between the ecosystems that nourish it is achieved. Those of us who practice aquaculture know that we have to adapt to climate, food and other changes consistent with a healthy ecosystem.

Oceanic Wealth

Christian Berque mentions that among the species that Peru can compete with are scallops (argopecten purpuratos), prawns (litope-naeus vannamei) and tilapia (oreochromis niloticus), considered the fish of the nineties in the United States, which has currently given rise to an important project in the Poechos area in Piura. Corvina (micropogonias sp.), robalo (centropomus nigrescens) and chita (anisotremus scapularis) are warm water fish that can be cultivated between Tacna and Paita, whereas mero (red grouper) (epinephelus sp.), red pargo (lutjanus guttatus) and congrio (genypterus maculatos) are tropical water species that can be cultivated between Máncora and Puerto Pizarro. There is a foreign market for all these species, although there is still no basic science in this country for breeding them in captivity. Nevertheless, some foreign companies that own hatcheries are interested in joint ventures with lo-cal entrepreneurs.

"Lenguado" or sole (paralichthys adpersus) requires more attention, since the Morro Sama station
(Tacna) of the Fishery Development Fund is about to implement a project for the economically feasible development of this species. Yellowfin tuna (thunnus albacares) and large eye tuna (thunnus obesus) are speciesthat develop in water temperatures that exceed 20ºC, which can be found on the Tumbes coast.

Salt water artemia (artemia sp.) can be cultivated in large coastal ponds and in the salt marshes on the Peruvian coast. Used in the hatcheries as feed during the first stages of development of fish and crustaceans because of its high energy conversion powers, the advantage of the artemia is that it can be placed in dry storage during its egg stage for long periods of time.