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More than a dozen artisanal fishing associations announce a strike in the main commercial ports on the Peruvian coast
Unions demand the resignation of the Minister of Production for failure to keep promises and the uncontrolled presence of the Chinese squid fleet
PERU
Thursday, September 19, 2024, 13:20 (GMT + 9)
Piura Regional Government demands resignation of minister after collapse of squid fishery and unprecedented food crisis
On Tuesday, September 17, convened by the Regional Government of Piura, the main artisanal fishing organizations of the north of the country met to address the serious food crisis caused by the disappearance of the giant squid (squid) Dosidicus Gigas from Peruvian waters.
Minutes of the meeting of fishing leaders
Squid, a key resource for both human consumption and the national economy, generates around 750 million dollars in exports annually and provides more than 45 million kilos of protein at low cost, being fundamental in the fight against the food crisis, according to the FAO. Edwin Houghton, president of the Association of Fishing Shipowners of the Sea of Paita (APAMARPA) and vice president of the National Society of Artisanal Fishing of Peru (SONAPESCAL), highlighted during the meeting that the scarcity of the resource has caused the price in the markets to skyrocket, going from 3-4 soles per kilo to between 12 and 18 soles, due to the uncontrolled presence of the Chinese fishing fleet. "How can a Peruvian family with limited resources pay 18 soles (US$ 4.78) for a kilo of squid?", Houghton questioned.
 The search for solutions so that squid becomes accessible again for the millions of Peruvians who suffer from hunger is precisely what the Regional Government of Piura sought when it called the fishing unions.
Among the main agreements, the request to the Executive Branch to declare an emergency for artisanal fishing throughout the country stands out, as well as to reaffirm the status of "persona non grata" to Chinese President Xi Jinping. In addition, they demand the immediate resignation of the Minister of Production, as well as the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, for blocking the measures necessary to control the entry of Chinese vessels.
Javier Querevalú, president of the 'Gremio de Pescadores y Armadores Artesanales de la Caleta Yacila', stated that the meeting concluded with quite concrete and direct results and that now the action of the central government and, particularly, of the president Dina Boluarte is urgently required.
 "As a first point, we ask the Executive Branch to declare an emergency for artisanal fishing throughout Peru. As a second point, we have agreed to reaffirm the declaration of persona non grata to Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We reject their presence at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) and, likewise, we demand the immediate resignation of the Minister of Production, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism and other ministers who would be blocking the adoption of measures to adequately control the entry of Chinese vessels," Querevalú reported regarding the signed agreements.
Elsa Vega, president of the National Society of Artisanal Fishing (SONAPESCAL) reported that the signed agreement also addresses a central issue for the generalized crisis of artisanal fishing in Peru: the illegal entry of more than 300 Chinese vessels into Peru. The leader commented that, for two years, they have been politely asking that Chinese vessels only comply with the legal requirement of using the satellite tracking device of the Ministry of Production, known as SISESAT.
 “After analyzing what happened, we concluded that the central government authorities have no problem with disrespecting their own regulations and weakening the illegal fishing control system, in order to prioritize giving facilities to foreign shipowners. Therefore, as a precaution, we are now rejecting all entry of Chinese fishing vessels into the Peruvian sea. We are going to oppose any entry of Chinese fishing vessels into Peru until the Minister of Production learns to comply with, and enforces, the regulations that govern the entry of foreign fishing vessels into Peru,” Vega said.
Minister González announced, with great fanfare on National Television on July 28, that he was going to put a stop to the illegal entry of Chinese vessels through a regulatory improvement. The deadline for publication was over a month ago and, despite the fact that it formally has the approval of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM), it is simply not published in the Official Gazette El Peruano.
“Minister González has entered into a period of silence. If he does not govern the Ministry of Production, then the right thing to do is for him to resign and for a minister with character to govern. We need someone who defends the fishing jurisdiction and the fight against illegal fishing and not someone who remains silent while the maritime and port authorities, who have nothing to do with this issue, behave like lawyers for the Chinese,” Houghton finally said.
Photo: Desembarcadero Pesquero Artesanal - Yacila/Facebook
Finally, the letter signed by the Regional Government of Piura and more than a dozen artisanal fishing associations announces a strike in the main commercial ports of the Peruvian coast if the Minister of Production, Sergio González Guerrero, does not take immediate action.
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