Challenging the tradition of a fishmeal producing country: An economic overview of the fishing activity of Piura, Peru

Abstract

Piura is a region in northern Peru that stands out for its artisanal fisheries, export-oriented processing industry that focuses on products for direct human consumption (DHC), and marine gastronomy. We characterized the Piura region’s fisheries sector value chain for 2014 using primary and secondary information. This resulted in the estimation of indicators for production, value added (VA) and employment. Piura reported landings of 732,000 t of fish and invertebrates that generated U$D 1,771 million of income, U$D 700 million of VA and 49,000 jobs. The main supply chains of Piura’s landings were: (1) Industrial production and export of DHC products mainly sourced from artisanal fisheries (82% landings, 59% of AV, and 46% of employment), and (2) Supply of fresh seafood for domestic consumption (13% landings, 36% of AV, and 52% of employment). This region does not follow the national pattern for Peru. The latter is characterized by the massive industrial extraction of anchoveta for fishmeal and fish oil production (IHC). Finally, given that Peruvian artisanal fisheries have a long way to go before achieving sustainability, we discussed our findings within a broader governance framework seeking to strengthen participatory governance to prevent potential future collapses and increase the competitiveness of the economic activities characterized throughout this research.