Peruvian government officials monitor fishing vessels in its territorial waters via satellite.
Photo: Produce.
Peru's Ministry of Production (Produce) announced that the Peruvian Government has reinforced the control over all the foreign-flagged fishing vessels entering its territorial sea to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing). Earlier, at the end of last month, it was published a legislative decree (DS 014-2024-Produce) that significantly strengthened the fishing control system.
"After years of foreign fishing fleets fishing in the area adjacent to our territorial sea, the Government is issuing an advanced regulation that is committed to a comprehensive fishing control that further strengthens the inspections already being carried out by the Navy and Produce, respectively," said the head of Produce, Sergio Gonzalez, when presenting the new rule to the Peruvian Congress.
"This standard, which is multi-sectoral in nature and went through a complex regulatory process, places us today at the forefront of supervision and monitoring models in the Pacific," Gonzalez added later in the release issued by the Peruvian Ministry of Production.
Sergio González recalled that the entry of foreign-flagged fishing vessels to Peruvian ports is not new, but an issue that dates back decades.
"Between 2016 and 2019 there was the highest entry of foreign fishing vessels to Peruvian ports, requesting access for various reasons, including emergencies. I must say that these entries are rigorously monitored to ensure that Peruvian regulations are respected," he continued.
The head of Produce added that port inspections are carried out by the Peruvian Navy in coordination with the Ministry of Production, thus guaranteeing exhaustive control of these activities.
From now on, a new control system will be added using satellite systems also operated by the Peruvian Navy.
For this control - except when it is exclusively for forced arrival or the safety or health of the crew or the safety of the vessel -, the installation of the Satellite Tracking System for fishing vessels (SISESAT) shall be requested upon first arrival or, failing that, it shall be approved with the one already in place.
SISESAT will allow the Peruvian authorities to track and monitor these vessels. They will be able to identify and control their exact location, thus ensuring that no IUU fishing activities are carried out in their territorial sea.
The new standard requires a maximum of 60 working days to request the homologation or SISESAT installation for foreign-flagged vessels through the VUCE - the Spanish acronym for Foreign Trade Single Window -.
VUCE is an integrated system that, through electronic means, allows the parties involved in foreign trade and international transportation to exchange the required or relevant information for the entry, exit, or transit of goods and means of transportation to or from the Peruvian national territory.
"The maximum deadline for the implementation of VUCE is 60 working days, but we are working so that it is ready as soon as possible and D.S 014-2024 can be applied in its entirety," said Peru's Minister of Production.
The South American country had already been preparing for this change months ago. In July of this year, Produce had already announced that it was going to modify the regulation of the satellite tracking system for fishing vessels to expand the market of suppliers of this technology in the country.
With this initiative, Peru sought to provide a lower-cost alternative system or equipment, mainly for small-scale vessels that need it.
The Peruvian Government's efforts to increase controls over the fishing vessels operating in its territorial waters were also evident when, in May of this year, Peru and the United States joined forces to fight IUU fishing.
Then, instructors from the U.S. NOAA provided a workshop with theoretical examples and field work - 'Workshop for Port State Controllers on the Port State Measures Agreement' (AMERP) - to strengthen the capacities of Peruvian professionals involved in preventing and eliminating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
