Video: The “Por la Pesca” project released a documentary about the perico fishery on the northern coast of Peru
This mini-documentary was produced as part of the Por la Pesca (For fishing) project in order to make visible to those who make artisanal perico fishing possible in Peru, as well as its main challenges and opportunities.
The mahi mahi, dorado, or perico, as we call it in Peru, is one of the main characters of artisanal fishing in the country. It is estimated that more than 10 thousand people fish for this species, which can be found up to 200 miles away, so fishing operations can last up to 25 days. Likewise, this large fish is processed in our country, mainly in plants located in Piura, and it is an export product valued by several countries, mainly the United States.
Perico: una pesca de altura (Perico: deep sea fishing) is a mini-documentary produced as part of the Por la Pesca project, which tells the story of the value chain of this fishery, from the landing to the final processing in the factory. The viewer can accompany the crew that leaves the port of Paita in search of perico, learn about the fishing gear used and the main challenges they face.
The mini-documentary stars Wilmer “El ruso” Álvarez, boat captain, and includes testimonies from José Luis Fiestas, skipper and fisherman; Cristian Merino, fisherman; Francisco Chapilliquén, in charge of boat logistics; Marlio Arredondo, production manager at Oceano Seafood; Carlos Olivares, sanitary formalization specialist at the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA); and Yuri Hooker, marine biologist.
As one of the great challenges facing the perico fishery, the interviewees indicated that formalization is key for boat owners and fishermen to be able to access safe work and have a quality fishery. For this reason, the Por la Pesca project has been working on its promotion, and in the first year of the project has managed to contribute to the formalization of more than 450 boats dedicated to perico and pota fishing.
The mini-documentary was directed by Lucia Flórez, a documentary filmmaker selected for the Sundance Film Festival 2023, winner of one of the MAFIZ awards at the Malaga Film Festival 2024 and author of several pieces related to fishing and conservation, such as the documentaries Mujeres a la mar: historias que hacen posible la pesca artesanal (Women at sea: stories that make artisanal fishing possible) and Pota: un pesca gigante (Squid: a giant fish).
Fact:
Perico: Una pesca de altura was released virtually on April 20 via the social networks of the Por la Pesca project partners (@spda_peru, @wwfperu, @prodelphinus, @future_of_fish and @wildaid).
About the Por la Pesca project
Por la Pesca aims to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Peru and Ecuador, and is a joint effort between the Walton Family Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA), WildAid, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Pro Delphinus, Future of Fish, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Redes-Sostenibilidad Pesquera and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
