ANTHROPOLOGICAL RECORDS 21:2 A SURVEY OF PERUVIAN FISHING COMMUNITIES BY E. A. HAMMEL AND YNEZ D. HAASE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY AND LOS ANGELES 1962 A SURVEY OF PERUIAN FISHING COMMUNITIES BY E. A. HAMMEL AND YNEZ D. HAASE ANTHROPOLOGICAL RECORDS Vol. 2I, No. 2 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS ANTHROPOLOGICAL RECORDS Editors (Berkeley): J. H. Rowe, D. H. Hymes, J. D. Clark Volume 21, No. 2, pp. 211-230, 5 figures in text, 1 map Submitted by editors May 29, 1962 Issued December 7, 1962 Price, 75 cents University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles California Cambridge University Press London, England Manufactured in the United States of America CONTENTS Page Introduction ................................................ 211 General Characteristics of Fishing Communities. ....................................... 212 The Technology of Fishing . ................................................ 214 Marine Products Taken . ................................................ 214 Nets ................................................................,,,,.214 Traps .................... 218 Hook-and-line Fishing .................... 218 Spears, Gaffs, and Miscellaneous Artifacts ....................................... 218 Water Craft ................................................ 219 Knots and Splices .221 Role Differentiation and Economic Arrangements .222 Manufacture of Equipment ....................................................... 222 Marketing ...................................................................... 222 Profit Sharing .................................................................. 222 Sexual Division of Labor ............................. 222 Summary and Conclusions .223 Appendix: Descriptions of Some Communities . 225 Bibliography ....................... 228 Figures in Text 1. Red de cortina .215 2. Chinchorros ................................................................. 217 3. Caballitos del mar . 220 4. Bote de vela (Pisco) .... ....... 221 5. Zapato chalana (Cerro Azul) ................................................. 221 Map 1 Peruvian fishing communities surveyed .................................... facing 211 [ iii I .N I 4. /I loPe Chimboto Chineos Purto Huormey Puerto o Huocho to Chooy XAno Call LIMA 4I Q 00 loo Kilometers Map 1. Peruvian fishing communities surveyed. A SURVEY OF PERUVIAN FISHING COMMUNITIES BY E. A. HAMMEL AND YNEZ D. HAASE INTRODUCTION One of the least known areas of mestizo culture (1925: 214-215), on the other hand, regards coastal in Latin America centers around the organization Peruvian fishing as a somewhat reduced set of anid operation of coastal fishing communities. The aboriginal techniques with a few more recent (prin- lack of information is the more disturbing in Peru cipally Italian) elements added, ignoring the extent because of the close association of a fishing eco- and detail of Iberian introductions, with which he nomy with the earliest recorded horticulture in the may not have been, in fact, familiar. We shall area and the importance of maritime activities in attempt to show in this paper that both these ori- the development of aboriginal culture. The domesti- entations are indeed correct, but that they apply cation of certain plants (e.g., lima beans, achira, to different segments of the cultural inventory. If 1ucuma, avocado, pacae, cotton, and gourds) may have one examines nets and the sociology of fishing, been accomplished or accepted by coastal fishermen Foster's opinion appears generally correct. If one as early as 2500 B. C. It is of further interest examines vessel types ahistorically and takes ac- that the earliest evidence of domesticated plants count of the date of Murphy's work the opposite includes cotton and gourds, which were employed is the case. This study, however, is not offered not for subsistence but for industrial purposes in as a final solution to the culture-historical prob- the basic fishing economy, that is, for the making lem of how aboriginal Peruvian fishing has been of lines, nets, and net floats.' transformed over the years into its modern forms. The clear importance of a developed fishing It is, rather, an attempt to add to that body of data economy to the rise of civilization in Peru and which will be necessary for the solution of the prob- the probable continued role of maritime operations lem and to offer suggestions which seem legitimate in trade throughout the whole span of Peruvian in terms of the information currently available. civilization are in strong contrast to the fact that The survey on which this paper is based was little of the presumed aboriginal heritage of fishing undertaken in 1957-1958 and covered the Peruvian and navigational techniques can be identified as coast from Ica to the Ecuadorean border.3 Inform- surviving today.2 The cultural inventory, terminol- ants were consulted in thirty-seven villages, and ogy, techniques, and sociology of Peruvian coastal data were obtained on ten more, either by personal fishing are apparently overwhelmingly Spanish, observation or by questioning informants in other covered with an overlay of later European and localities. The rapidity of the survey (5,000 kms. North American introductions. Scholarly opinion dif- in 10 days) and the difficulties of establishing rap- fers somewhat on the precise nature of the histori- port with so many informants in a short time make cal processes involved. Foster (1960: 77-86) points superficiality of the data inevitable (we were sus- out that traditional Spanish fishing is among the pected by most fishermen of being either tax col- most highly developed of such complexes in the lectors or of spying out new fishing grounds for world (see also Rodriguez Santamaria, 1927). Sug- the commercial fishing companies with which they gesting that little of the variety of Iberian equip- are in continual conflict). We can only hope that ment and techniques is to be found in Peru or breadth of coverage will compensate for that fault other coastal areas of Mestizo America, he mini- in some degree, and that the information presented mizes the presence of aboriginal forms as well will serve as a guide for further investigation. as the effect of more recent diffusion. Murphy 3This survey was undertaken by the authors after comparison 'For discussion of the aboriginal background, see Bird, 1946; of field notes from their respective areas (Hammel in Ica, Haase Bennett and Bird, 1949: 116- 123; Estrada, 1957: 11 (citing Oviedo), in Sechura) indicated that investigation of the intervening areas 47-56 (citing Dampier, Baleato); Schweigger, 1943: 252 (citing would be advisable. Hammel's research was done with the sup- Cieza de Le6n); Lothrop, 1932; Means, 1942; Garcilaso, 1945; port of the Social Science Research Council, Haase's with that of Cobo, 1956; Vasquez de Espinosa, 1948; Kostritsky, 1955; Engel, the Geography Branch, Office of Naval Research. The authors 1957; Lanning, MS; Edwards, MS, 1960. are grateful to their respective sponsors for their support. We ZFor comments on the probable role of navigation, see Willey, are also obliged to G. M. Foster for his comments and advice 1955: 42; Coe, 1960. On techniques of navigation, see Lothrop, while the field research was in progress and to him and J. H. 1932; Means, 1942; Edwards, MS, 1960. Rowe for comments on a draft of this paper. [ 211 ] GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FISHING COMMUNITIES The 43 settlements on which some demographic of vessels, and to report infractions to the capitania information was available have an approximate total under the jurisdiction of which his village falls. (The population of 23,000 persons dependent to a major sargento and the official superstructure above him degree on, and directly involved in, fishing (see Ap- thus perform some of the regulative functions of the pendix). (Schweigger, 1943: 264 and Fiedler, 1943: 63 Iberian fishermen's gremio; cf. Foster, 1960:84, on give roughly comparable figures.) Settlements range its decline in Spain.) Sargentos are appointed by the in population from a dozen to 5,000 inhabitants; the capitania of the nearest large port; for example, the mean is about 535 but the modal only 200 persons. sargento of Laguna Grande is appointed by and is res- The distribution is thus markedly skewed; only 5 com- ponsible to the capitania of Pisco. In some villages munities have a population of over 1,000. Few of the the fishermen claim that they elect their sargento; it settlements and individuals treated here are involved seems, in fact, that they elect a candidate who is ap- primarily in fishing for commercial canneries or pro- proved by the capitania, but final authority rests with cessing factories; thus, segments of the fishing popu- that office. The position of the sargento in enforcing lation of some large coastal cities (e.g., Callao) are the law is a difficult one, since he is one of the vil- omitted. Nevertheless, it should be stressed that much lagers but nevertheless responsible to an outside and of the catching of fish for consumption without inter- somewhat foreign authority. As a result, infractions mediate processing, or perhaps for drying and salting, by his personal friends are seldom noted, while those is distinctly commercial, not subsistence, in nature, by his enemies are frequently reported. The office and it is the larger communities among those con- thus serves as a focal point for local factionalism sidered which are most extensively involved in fish- which is exploited by the sargento and by the capitania.