PROJECT "POR LA PESCA" ("FOR FISHING") SEEKS TO HELP ARTISANAL FISHING AND WILL PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE FISHING
• The Walton Family Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and a coalition of fishermen’s associations and environmental institutions join forces to promote responsible fishing practices.
Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States, announced today that the United States Government, in its effort to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, is launching the new project Por la Pesca, that will help artisanal fishing and will promote sustainable fishing in Ecuador and Peru.
“Today I saw firsthand how IUU fishing threatens the health of our oceans and, as a result, the livelihoods and food security of coastal communities. The United States is committed to combating IUU fishing globally and will continue to support coastal countries and their communities in confronting IUU fishing,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
IUU fishing threatens the sustainability of artisanal fisheries and biodiversity, as well as the livelihoods and resilience of coastal communities. This new project promotes sustainable and profitable fishing practices in Ecuador and Peru.
Por la Pesca is the result of a joint effort between the Walton Family Foundation, which contributes $12.5 million; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is initially providing $5.7 million, and whose execution will be led by the NGO Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA), in alliance with Redes Sustainability Pesquera, Pro Delphinus, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Future of Fish, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), The Nature Conservancy Peru, WWF – Peru and WildAid.
The announcement was made during his visit to the Chorrillos artisanal fishermen’s market where he was received by Mr. Ricardo Laos, president of the José Silverio Olaya Balandra Association of Artisanal Fishermen of Caleta de Chorrillos; Mrs. Elsa Vega, president of the National Society of Artisanal Fishing; Mrs. Jessica Hidalgo, project director and representative of the SPDA and the Deputy Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Marcela Escobari, from USAID.
“There are fewer, and fewer fish and we must go deeper into the sea for days to find them. And that creates marketing problems for us. We are many families who live from fishing”, mentioned Mr. Ricardo Laos