Peru's canned and frozen seafood production drops

Local production of frozen and canned seafood products in Peru dropped 23.8% and 64.06%, respectively, in January and February 2010 against on-year, reveals the Statistics and Information Technology Institute (INEI).

In 2009, the local production of frozen and canned products also registered a fall of 23.1% and 17.09%, respectively, when comparing them with 2008.

The executives of big, medium and small firms consulted by El Comercio assure that the absence of jack mackerel and mackerel in the Peruvian coasts is causing one of the greatest crises faced by the sector, since without these resources they do not have anything to process or produce.

''Over these last 18 months we have asked the Peruvian Marine Research Institute(IMARPE) and the Ministry of Production(Produce) to explain why there is no resource but little has been reported,'' complained Suni Vidal, director of the Business of Direct Human Consumption of Pesquera Hayduk SA.

This firm underwent a diminution of its income from US$40 million to US$25 million in 2009.

"The IMARPE knows very little about the jack mackerel and the mackerel because 90% of their budget is going to study the anchovy (Engraulis ringens). It is logical that when speaks it does not have much to say,'' director of Pelagic Fishing Group (PFG), Santiago Freundt indicated.

The official noted that in the last reports drafted by IMARPE, they assure that the absence of these species is due to constant climate changes and to worldwide over-fishing.

On the issue, Freundt indicated, ''For Chile, which has considerably reduced its volumes of catch, the explanation is none other than over-exploitation.''

In order to face this downturn, the members of the industry have explored new alternatives since 2008 and wager on the anchovy, a species that is abundant in the national sea.