The sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture contributes to the well-being of 60% of the Amazonian population
Fishing net, Peru
- Representatives of the fishing and aquaculture industry in Peru, participated in the 45th session of the Forum for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, a space for dialogue and knowledge exchange promoted by civil society that is organized regularly due to the support of the Ministry of Production and promoted, on this occasion, by SPDA, IBC, WCS, Intelfin and WWF.
- For the first time, this forum discussed the Amazon situation, with focus on the development of fisheries policies in the Amazon and its challenges in Ucayali, Loreto, Amazonas and San Martín. The priorities focused on food security, participatory management mechanisms and the need to evaluate the complementarity of the rivers and forests of the Amazon.
Under this framework, the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) hosted on September 19th, the 45th edition of the Forum of Fisheries and Sustainable Aquaculture: a civil society initiative to promote dialogue and research among the actors that integrate the complex fishing dynamics.
Continental fisheries are one of the most important economic activities in the Peruvian Amazon Basin and annually reaches an average of 80 thousand tons aimed at local consumption and trade, according to the data from the Research Institute of the Peruvian Amazon (IIAP). As stated by PRODUCE, emblematic species, such as Gamitana, Paco and Paiche, are positioned in the international and local market.
“To achieve sustainable fishing, enabling spaces for dialogue is key. Maintaining a horizontal relationship, open to the exchange of experiences and knowledge among all the actors in the sector, guarantee the creation of policies and ensures effective decision-making, that does not stay on paper, but work efficiently”, said José Álvarez Alonso, General Director of Biological Diversity of the Ministry of Environment (MINAM).
The administration of the Amazon’s resources, and the preservation of its species, impacts the quality of food security and the economic dynamics of more than 60% of Amazon citizens, according to Kurt Holle, Executive Director at WWF Peru. Holle stated that “to intervene in the fishing system is to intervene, irrefutably, in the health and food system”.
The meeting brought together 24 institutions. Among the attendees were members of the Associations of Indigenous Artisan Producers of Ucayali and the Shipibo community, PRODUCE, MINAM and DIREPRO of Ucayali, Loreto, San Martin and Amazonas as regional representatives, as well as members of the National Fund of Fisheries Development (FONDEPES), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), among others of civil society.
Fishing net, Peru
Pastaza - Peru
