Peruvian Hake
Fishery Improvement Project

Last update: October 2012

Species: Peruvian hake (Merluccius gayi peruanus)

FIP Scope/Scale: Fishery level

Fishery Location: Peru, for map see Peruvian hake
 
Sustainability Information:
See Summary and Sustainability Info tabs at this link Peruvian hake
 
Date Launched: 2009
 
FIP Stage: 4, FIP is delivering improvement in policies or practices
 
Current Improvement Recommendations:
  • Implement a recovery plan to improve stock level until the target reference point
  • Improve transparency on stock assessment and advised total allowable catch (TAC)
  • Minimize illegal fishing.

Background:
 
Within the extremely variable conditions of the Southeastern Pacific, this bottom-trawling fishery has reached peaks of 300,000 tonnes in 1978 and 230,000 tonnes in 1996, and a valley of 6,000 tonnes in 1983. After a new peak period in 2001, when landings were 130,000 tonnes, the fishery showed signs of depletion and it was closed in 2003. Since 2004 landings have been stabilized around 35,000 tonnes. The stock was depleted until 2008, and, following IMARPE reports, barely recovered in 2009 to a level over critical limits, although an experts’ panel held in 2009 maintained that the stock was still depleted and recommended landings under 13,000 tonnes.
 
The fishery takes place in the north of Peru and part of the stock lives in an area crossing the Ecuador-Peru border, although in Ecuador there is no trawling fishery targeted on hake. The port city of Paita accounts for almost all landings, giving this fishery considerable socio-economic importance for that community. There is also a small artisanal (row boats and gillnets) hake fishery accounting for less than 5 percent of landings.
 
The new authorities in Peru had decided to give more validity to the experts’ panel and the TAC for 2012 had been established at 8,600 tonnes, which was biologically advantageous, but this created severe socio-economic complications in Paita.   Consequently, the TAC was modified to 14,732 tonnes, the upper limit of IMARPE’s advice for 2012.
 
SFP efforts in this fishery are focused on working with major buyers and supplier partners to support the local improvement efforts lead by CeDePesca, a South American NGO whose mission is to work for socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable fisheries. CeDePesca has been involved with the Peruvian hake fishery for over 3 years.
 
Given that their products are exported mainly to Northern European markets, the stakeholders in this fishery expressed interest in MSC certification, but the improvement process experienced delays until 2011, when Findus, an industry leader in frozen seafood, strongly encouraged Peruvian producers to work together with CeDePesca and SFP to get a certifiable status. Unfortunately Findus faces an internal re-organization and the leverage has decreased. Based on this and the aforementioned changes in Peru, the local industry has been delaying active participation in the FIP.
 
Key issues in this fishery:
  • Despite some recent advances (MSC pre-assessment completed, improvement plan agreed) the main issue to be resolved before entering MSC full assessment is transparency as it pertains to the public availability of stock assessments. This will be the only way to effectively demonstrate the stock is already over the limit reference point and moving towards a safer status.
  • Although management and research are strong in general, no clear harvest strategy is in place and a better understanding of the impacts on the seabed and benthic community is needed.
  • A small fleet outside of the certification process is engaging in illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, which makes clear the need for better enforcement. Legal landings were 36,000 tonnes until 2011, and illegal landings are roughly estimated to be 9,000 tonnes, which is above the 2011 quota. This unaccounted illegal landing could cause a distorted result when calculating the outputs from the stock model.
  • Age structure is still in a fragile state, being predominantly (95%) juvenile aged between 1 and 3 years. Following the new officially adopted status of the stock, it would be around 10 percent of SSB0 (50,000 tonnes), with the limit reference point at 100,000 tonnes. A target reference point has not been established. Until 2011, IMARPE estimated the stock as being at the limit reference point.
FIP Objectives:
  • Implement a recovery plan to improve stock level until the target reference point
  • Improve transparency on stock assessment and advised total allowable catch (TAC)
  • Encourage an external peer review of stock assessment methodology
  • Minimize illegal fishing
  • Implement a harvest strategy
  • Implement an ecosystem approach and related supportive measures
FIP Participants:  
  • Hake Subcommittee of Peruvian National Society of Industries (PSC-NSI).
  • CeDePesca

Other Partners/Stakeholders:
  • IMARPE (The marine research institute of Peru – research- and science-oriented body that advises the Peruvian government on fishery resources and conservation of marine environment)
  • PRODUCE (Peru’s Ministry of Production, in charge of management)

Progress Update:

In February 2009, the profile of this fishery was available publicly on FishSource.com.
 
In June 2010, the Peruvian Hake Subcommittee of the National Society of Industries (PSC-NSI) signed a FIP agreement
 
In August 2010, an MSC pre-assessment was completed.
 
In December 2010, an improvement plan was prepared and agreed between the Peruvian hake industry, CeDePesca, and SFP. The main issues addressed in the improvement plan are better understanding of ecosystem impacts and transparency.
 
In March 2011, CeDePesca, together with PSC-NSI, received funding from the Sustainable Fisheries Fund (SFF, a program of the Resources Legacy Fund (RFL)) that focused on providing a grant to implement the improvement plan. CeDePesca had secured support from IMARPE and from researchers at the University of Piura, who would have conducted several analyses to fill the information gaps highlighted by the pre-assessment.
 
Discussions with new government authorities were promising in regard to making the stock assessment public by the end of 2011. What happened finally were the creation of a link to the 2009 experts’ panel report on IMARPE´s website (previously censored) and an update of the model, which has not been made public.
 
In August 2011, CeDePesca and IMARPE senior staff held a meeting with very positive results in regard to the necessary scientific reports about the status of the stock and the impacts of the hake fishery on the environment. Nevertheless, the staff were changed in October 2011 by the new Peruvian authorities and the agreement was not implemented.
 
In September 2011, CeDePesca and PSC-NSI met in Paita to discuss the implementation of the agreed improvement plan, and the industry was informed about the meeting between CeDePesca and IMARPE. The industry reiterated its support to the plan, including the financial support. Nevertheless, by December 2011 the financial contribution still had not been made and, in January 2012, after the establishment of the new TAC (8,600 tonnes), representatives of the industry communicated to CeDePesca that the implementation of the improvement plan is not a priority for them now because of financial troubles created by the new quota.
 
Given that the financial support from Sustainable Fisheries Fund had a deadline in March 2012, the funds granted to support this FIP were returned to donors because of political difficulties in implementing the project.
 
In January 2012, CeDePesca was accepted as part of the Cross-Sectoral Working Grorup for the Recovery of Hake constituted by PRODUCE and comprising PRODUCE, IMARPE, the industry, and fishermen unions to establish a management and recovery strategy for hake, taking account of biological, social, and economic issues.  The cross-sectoral working group met once a week in the cities of Lima and Paita until March 21.  
 
In April 2012, CeDePesca sent a letter to the Vice-Minister of Fisheries encouraging transparency of science.
 
During May 2012, authorities started to change again in PRODUCE and IMARPE. Currently, CeDePesca is in conversations with the PSC-NSI to restart the implementation of the improvement plan
 
 

 Click here for a comprehensive description of FIP results 

   
FIP Contact: If you would like more information about the FIP or wish to support the FIP, please contact SFP