Viewing: Uncategorized

In Peru, small scale fisheries play a critical role in food security and the national economy, supplying approximately 95% of the seafood consumed domestically and producing $902 million (USD) in revenue annually. Not surprisingly, then, fishers are considered essential workers. But in villages such as La Islilla — where deficient medical infrastructure means that COVID spread is an ongoing concern — even essential fishing is too risky without proper PPE (personal protective equipment). But sourcing of PPE and sanitation resources for businesses to open…

Historias de pesca: René Jara (Versión en Español más abajo) René Jara, also known as "Patolín", was born in Duao, a fishing cove in the Maule region of Chile.  He began fishing when he was 15, and now — at 28 — he’s an expert in the art, catching hake, squid, crab, and elephant fish among other species. For René, fishing runs in the family: he credits his father for teaching him everything he knows. In time, René's entrepreneurial spirit led him to own…

“Fish is the perfect protein” says Oceana Chief Policy Officer, Jacqueline Savitz. We couldn’t agree more. And nothing makes us happier than seeing this, and the rationale for why, shared in a recent article in Forbes — a publication primarily focused on business, finance, and investment. It’s not your typical environmental magazine. And that’s because empowering sustainable fisheries is as much an effort to address food security and livelihoods as it is about environmental protection. Globally, over 3 billion people rely on fish as their primary source of…

Historias de pesca: Pedro (Versión en Español más abajo) Pedro is a fisher from Chorrillos, a coastal area on the Southern outskirts of Lima in Peru. For Pedro, fishing is a lifestyle: his dad taught him how to fish at age 13, and he started fishing with his uncles at age 14, almost thirty years ago. He has made his living from the ocean ever since. Fishing for swordfish, mahi mahi, and other species up to one hundred miles from the coast, Pedro is…

(Versión en Español más abajo) As part of Future or Fish’s response to COVID-19 in Peru, two things became clear: mobility restrictions were severely hindering logistics, and demand had dropped significantly. In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 had changed the way people access and consume seafood in Peru — a pattern experienced by seafood supply chains globally. After some rapid brainstorming, one immediate initiative Future of Fish identified was a campaign to address the demand issue in Peru (read more about FoF’s other initiatives in the…

Future of Fish announces a new campaign to get PPE to fishing villages in Peru. June 4, 2020 For Immediate Release Fishers are essential workers, but what happens when they don’t have the gear they need to work safely in a pandemic? This week, Future of Fish launches a new campaign in partnership with fishers from La Islilla, Peru, to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to the fishers and seafood workers who need it most. In Peru, small scale fisheries play a critical role…

Workers in small scale fisheries make up over 90% of all seafood employees. These small fisheries, spread from Chile to Belize to Vietnam, catch 50% of the seafood eaten around the world. Small scale fishing can be a hard life — long days on the water, stock fluctuations due to climate change or overfishing, and often low prices. Still: fishing is a lifestyle, a living, a tradition, and a way to support families and communities. For small scale fishers who want to improve their…

Historias de pesca: Patricia Purizaca (Versión en Español más abajo) Máncora is a seaside town in the Piura region of northern Peru. With a population of 12,899 inhabitants, it is a beautiful resort town as well as a bustling fisherman's cove. In recent years, it has become a popular beach destination visited by Peruvian and foreign surfers alike due to its great waves, which has led to high tourism demand in the region. It is here that we find Patricia, a merchant and cook.…

Historias de pesca: Luis Solís (Versión en Español más abajo) Luis Solís, born and raised in the commune of Renca, is a tireless worker and champion for his community, dedicated to working with small scale producers and businesses to improve food supply chains and access to nutritious food for all Chileans. Over the course of his career in both the private and public sectors, he observed a lack of connection and organization between workers causing inefficiencies in the food supply system, as well as…

Future of Fish anuncia nuevas iniciativas para apoyar a los pequeños pescadores durante la crisis de COVID-19 Abril 30, 2020 Para su inmediata publicación Durante una pandemia mundial, ¿qué sucede con los pescadores de mundo? Esta semana, el ONG Future of Fish anunció sus planes para apoyar a los pescadores y a las comunidades pesqueras en este momento sin precedente. La propagación y los efectos devastadores de la pandemia COVID-19 han paralizado un gran parte del mundo. Pero los peces siguen nadando como de…

Diego, Future of Fish's Latin America Business Innovations Lead, joined us a last year after a series of positions in the marine resource management and sustainable fishing field. Diego earned his Master's degree in Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at the University of California in Santa Barbara with a specialization in Coastal Marine Resources. He has worked as a researcher on projects ranging from human rights abuses on fisheries on a global scale, to the social-ecological adaptive capacity to climate change…

Future of Fish announces new initiatives to support small-scale fishers during COVID-19 crisis. April 30, 2020 For Immediate Release (Versión en Español) During a global pandemic, what happens to the world’s fishermen? This week, nonprofit Future of Fish announced its plans for supporting fishers and fishing communities in this unprecedented time. The spread and devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought much of the world to a standstill. But fish are still swimming as usual, and small-scale fishers around the globe still depend…