Peru's Minister of Production, César Quispe Luján, and the Executive President of Imarpe, Rear Admiral Jorge Paz, display the certification after the delivery ceremony.
Photo: Produce.
Peru's Ministry of Production (Produce) announced that the Peruvian Institute of the Sea (Imarpe)—a scientific body attached to it—has obtained the international certification ISO 9001:2015, in recognition of the quality and continuous improvement of its scientific processes linked to the sustainability of the anchovy fishery in the country.
Given by the international auditor SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance)—a leading Swiss multinational in inspection, verification, testing and certification that acts as a trusted external evaluator to ensure that organizations' products, processes and systems comply with national regulations and international standards—, this important certification is the international standard that confirms that an organization has a robust Quality Management System (QMS).
In the specific case of Imarpe, the ISO 9001:2015 certification specifically covers the processes 'Estimation of anchovy biomass using the stratification method by isoparalittoral areas' and 'Biological sampling of anchovy on land', considered fundamental to guarantee reliable and technically supported scientific information for decision-making in the fishing sector.
During the certification ceremony, which took place at the Imarpe headquarters in Chucuito, Callao, and was attended by various authorities, the Peruvian Minister of Production, César Quispe Luján, emphasized that the certification will strengthen the traceability, verifiability and documentation of each stage of the scientific processes related to anchovy in Peru.
In his speech, he also highlighted that this recognition strengthens Imarpe's international prestige and reaffirms the technical and scientific work that the institution carries out in favor of sustainable fishing.
"The challenge now is to maintain this certification. This work will be especially helpful to the fisheries management of the Ministry of Production. Imarpe now enjoys international prestige," said Quispe Luján.
The head of Produce also highlighted that the implementation of the quality management system strengthens the transparency, rigor and reliability of the scientific information used by the Peruvian State for fisheries management.
The Minister highlighted the key role of Imarpe in the sustainability of Peru's hydrobiological resources and in determining fishing quotas and sizes based on scientific evidence that guides the decisions of his Ministry.
"Fishing has to be sustainable, and we have to respect the sizes and quotas. Imarpe plays a key role in this: determining how much can be fished to maintain the biomass of the different species," César Quispe Luján stated.
The statement from Peru's Ministry of Production regarding the achievement of ISO 9001:2015 certification highlighted that this also represents recognition of the technical and scientific work carried out by the professionals of Imarpe, positioning the institution as a benchmark in marine research and fisheries sustainability.
"Obtaining ISO 9001:2015 certification not only consolidates Peru as a global leader in the responsible management of the anchovy resource, but also ensures that future generations of Peruvians continue to benefit from the richness and sustainability of our sea," Produce's statement read.
This international recognition of Produce and Imarpe's commitment to scientific excellence adds to the one received in March in the assessment report on the fisheries and aquaculture sectors prepared by the OECD Committee on Fisheries.
In it, the organization described the South American country's fisheries management—based on scientific research and analysis—as "world-class," underscoring the robustness of the Peruvian model, in which catch quotas and closed seasons are not political decisions, but rather the result of rigorous scientific monitoring conducted by the Peruvian Institute of the Sea.
