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

Abstract

Piura is a region in Northern Peru that stands out for its artisanal fisheries, export-oriented processing industry focusing on products for direct human consumption (DHC), and marine gastronomy. Primary and secondary information was used to characterize the Piura region’s fisheries sector value chain during 2014. 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 generating USD 1,771 million of income, USD 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 VA, and 46% of employment); and (2) supply of fresh seafood for domestic consumption (13% landings, 36% of VA, and 52% of employ-ment). The national pattern for Peru is not followed by this region whose main characteristics are: 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, our findings were discussed within a broader governance framework seeking to strengthen participatory governance to prevent potential future collapses and increase the competi-tiveness of the economic activities characterized throughout this research.