Consultancy Report An Overview )f Vessels, Gearand FishingTechniques Practicedin the Fisheriesof Peru Peru: Export Trade and Development Program 527-0349-A-00-1275-00 Prepared by: W. Douglas Souter Prepared for: Agricultural Cooperative Development International 50 F Street, NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20001 Phone: 202/638-4661 Fax: 202/626-8726 December 7, 1993 AN OVERVIEW OF VESSELS, GEAR AND FISHING TECHNIQUES PRACTICED IN THE FISHERIES OF PERU Submitted to: Asociaci6n de Exportadores (ADEX) Avenida Santo Toribio 151 San Isidro Lima, PERU By: W. Douglas Souter San Diego, California For: Agricultural Cooperative Development International Washington, D.C. December 7, 1993 CONTENTS I. PREFACE .............................................. 1 II. PROJECT OBJECTIVES ................................... 2 III. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................. 3 IV. BACKGROUND ............................................. 7 V. PURSE SEINE VESSELS ENGAGED IN THE ANCHOVETA/ SARDINA/JUREL/CABELLA FISHERY .................. 8 Background 8 Discussion and Recommendations 9 VI. BOTTOM-TRAWL VESSELS ENGAGED IN THE MERLUSA FISHERY.. 11 Background 11 Operating and On-Board Handling Practices 12 Discussion end Recommendations 12 VII. BOTTOM PAIR TRAWLING FOR MERLUSA ..................... 14 Background 14 Vessels 15 Trawl Nets 15 Discussion and Recommendations 16 VIII. MID-WATER TRAWLING .............................. 18 IX. SINGLE VESSEL MID-WATER TRAWLING FOR JUREL AND CABELLA .................. ....... o.............o........ 19 Background 19 Vessels 19 Trawl Nets 20 Discussion and Recommendations 20 X. MID-WATER PAIR TRAWLING FOR JUREL AND CABALLA........ 21 Background 21 Vessels 21 Trawl Nets 21 Discussion and Recommendations 22 XI. VESSEL REFRIGERATION ....................... ........ 23 Refrigerated Sea Water 23 Pumping System 23 Fish Hold 23 Refrigeration Systems 24 Chilled Sea Water 26 Icing of Fish 29 XII. VESSEL SANITATION .............. ...................... 30 Discussion and Recommendations 30 CONTENTS Page XIII. RENOVATION OF THE ACTUAL OPERATING FLEET FINANCIAL ASPECTS .................................... 31 The Financial Situation 31 Pcssible Alternatives for Some Vessels 32 APPENDIX 1 - VESSEL SANITATION ............................. 34 REFERENCES ................................................. 45 1 I. PREFACE In September 1993, W. Douglas Souter was contracted by Agricultural Cooperative Development International of Washington, D.C., USA in cooperation with the Asociacion de Exportadores of Lima, Peru to conduct an overview of vessels engaged in the fishing industries of Peru. The project required Mr. Souter to travel to Peru, visit the ports of Caleta Cruz, Paita, Chimbote and Ilo, note operational shortcomings of vessels and their equipment where observed and recommend improvements that may benefit vessel owners and the overall fishing industry. The time allocated for this overview did not permit an in­ depth survey of individual vessels. Therefore, interviews with vessel owners and fleet managers, coupled with previous experience and knowledge of the characteristics of Peruvian fishing vessels were used to compile this report. 2 II. PROJECT OBJECTIVES 1. To evaluate the Peruvian fishing fleet to determine the characteristics required for vessels to engage in harvesting Peruvian pelagic resources of demersal mid-water and surface species, with emphasis to be directed at the harvesting of jurel and caballa. 2. Vessel refrigeration. 3. Vessel sanitation. 4. Renovation of the current fleet of purse seine vessels. 5. New techniques and equipment available for the capture of under-exploited species. The following sections deal with each of the objectives. However, because there are no new techniques for the capture of the under-exploited species of pelagics, jurel, caballa and merlusa, the mid-water and bottom two-vessel trawl systems are emphasized. 3 III. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 0 In 1991, from a combined biomass of over 7,000,000 tons and a permissible catch of 1,600,000 tons, only 140,000 tons of jurel and caballa were captured by Peruvian vessels. 0 To harvest jurel and caballa in greater quantities, the mid­ water trawling techniques must be employed. * During the period January 1 through October 31, 1991, only 75,000 tons of merlusa were landed (from a permissible catch of 150,000 tons) by a small fleet of bottom trawlers operating from the port of Paita. • A combined total of 5,340,000 tons of mixed anchoveta, sardina, jurel and caballa was landed by 383 operational Peruvian purse seine vessels in 1991. Non-operating vessels were reported to total 275. * A vessel's age is not the determining factor governing its suitability for continued operations; rather it is how it has been maintained, because purse seine vessels and their basic equipment have changed little during the past 25 years. At least 50 percent of the vessels engaged in purse seine fishing in Canada and the United States are over 30 years of age. • The operational section of the Peruvian purse seine fleet is equal to or better than those engaged in similar fisheries in other parts of the world. 0 Very few Peruvian purse seiners are insulated or have refrigeration systems. • It is recommended that insulation and refrigerated sea water systems be installed in vessels that offload to facilities that 4 process sardina, jurel and caballa for human consumption or for the manufacture of high-protein fish meal. 0 Bird radars are recommended for Peruvian purse seine vessels as a valuable fishing aid. 0 The merlusa bottom trawl fleet is operating as well as can be expected, given the size and power of the vessels and their equipment. 0 Fish holds of the fleet lack adequate insulation or have none. • Quality of the raw product could be improved if merlusa were chilled when caught and bruising was avoided by not overfilling trawls. 0 All bottom trawl vessels should carry adequate ice or install refrigerated sea water (RSW) or chilled sea water (CSW) systems. 0 Two-vessel bottom pair trawling could be more productive than the current one-vessel system being employed for harvesting merlusa. * Vessels currently engaged in the bottom trawl fishery could convert to conduct pair trawling operations at reasonable costs, including insulation and/or RSW or CSW. * Additional electronics are recommended regardless of which technique is being employed. The most important items are net sounders with rectifiers, global plotting systems with track plotter and ram cars, and sonar units. • Trawl nets or plans for nets should be purchased from Europe. 5 0 A project to determine the viability of the pair trawl system in Peru should be conducted using European fishermen to demonstrate the techniques. • The benefits visualized by using the pair trawl system for harvesting merlusa are: 1. Eliminate the necessity of investing in costly high­ powered vessels to increase production. 2. Allow some of the smaller anchoveta vessels to enter the fishery. 3. Keep the fishery in the hands of existing Peruvian vessel owners. 4. Allow the merlusa trawlers to also participate in the harvesting of offshore jurel and caballa populations. 0. Mid-water trawling for harvesting herring, jurel and other subsurface species is practiced in other areas of the world. • Russian and Cuban mid-water trawlers operating in Peruvian waters from 1983 through 1991 captured an average of 12,000 tons of mixed jurel and caballa per vessel per year. o Single mid-water trawl vessels are more costly to build and operate than the pair trawl units and are not recommended. * Mid-water pair trawling is recommended for a jurel/caballa fishery providing raw material prices can support a fishery. • Refrigeration systems and the use of ice all have good and possible bad features. 6 * Peru should adopt portions of the Canadian vessels sanitary regulations that apply to Peruvian vessels. 0 Financing the renovation of inactive vessels in the Peruvian purse seine fleet presents a dilemma because allowable catches are currently being harvested by the active fleet. W The merlusa fishery of Paita and possibly a jurel/caballa mid-water trawl fishery may be able to absorb some of the older Peruvian purse seine vessels. 7 IV. BACKGROUND Large populations of anchoveta, sardina, jurel, caballa and merlusa lie in close proximity to the Peruvian coast. Currently the harvesting of anchoveta, sardina, and to a lesser extent, jurel and caballa, is carried out by vessels using purse seines. This technique is employed to capture many species that inhabit the upper layer of the world oceans to a depth of about 35 fathoms. It has been practiced in Peru for the harvesting of anchoveta since the early 1960's and later for sardina, jurel and caballa. The fishery is well developed, but many of the older vessels involved are in very poor condition and need renovation or replacement. Although jurel and caballa are seasonally harvested by the use of purse seines in shallow coastal waters, the largest portion of these populations is found in deeper water and beyond the reach of purse seine nets. In 1991 from a combined biomass of over 7,000,000 tons and a permissible catch of 1,600,000 tons, only 140,000 tons were captured by Peruvian vessels. In order to capture the deep-swimming populations of these species, it will be necessary to employ the mid-water trawling technique that has proven to be effective at depths of 35 to more than 100 fathoms. There are currently no mid-water trawlers operating in Peruvian waters. Merlusa that inhabit the ocean bottom areas