Por la Pesca Alliance
We promote formal, responsible and sustainable fishing in the main artisanal fisheries of Peru and Ecuador
It is estimated that 1 of 5 species caught in the sea come from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This threatens the sustainability of artisanal fisheries, the associated biodiversity, our food security, and the resilience of coastal communities. In response, the Por la Pesca Alliance emerged as a coalition made up of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), REDES – Sostenibilidad Pesquera (REDES-SP), ProDelphinus (PD), Future of Fish (FoF), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), under the leadership of the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA). With support from the Walton Family Foundation (WFF), the Alliance also took on the implementation of the USAID-funded project, “Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in Peru and Ecuador (Por la Pesca),” carried out between October 2022 and January 2025. During this period, WildAid joined the Alliance as a partner. Through a systems-based approach, Por la Pesca leveraged the complementary strengths of its partners to promote sustainable and profitable fishing practices, while significantly reducing IUU fishing across key artisanal fisheries in Peru and Ecuador. To advance these goals, the Alliance implemented a set of five integrated strategies:
- Facilitating and reducing bottlenecks to formalization of fishers and their organizations with clear socioeconomic benefits.
- Empowering and strengthening the capacity of fisher organizations and other key value-chain actors.
- Leveraging market demand for seafood from formal and responsible fisheries to incentivize better fishing practices.
- Providing technical support to key government agencies and private sector actors to improve data-sharing and transparency for decision-making.
- Promoting science-based and participatory fisheries policies and regulations and providing technical assistance to national and sub-national authorities to support enforcement.
As a result, the Por la Pesca Alliance helped safeguard marine ecosystem health while strengthening the well-being and resilience of thousands of people and families who rely, directly and indirectly, on artisanal fisheries for their livelihoods.
MEET THE POR LA PESCA PARTNERS
Stronger together
WHERE DO WE WORK?
OUR IMPACT
Powered by strong collaboration among its partners, the Por la Pesca Alliance delivered the following results between 2020 and 2025:
REGIONAL
- 0 fishermen, members of fishing communities, and public officials benefited from training activities, technical and legal advice, and experience sharing.
- 0 people applied good practices and/or technologies for fisheries management, such as the use of logbooks and monitoring cameras on board, digital mechanisms for recording trips and catches, and the handling and release of incidentally caught species.
PERU
- 750 vessels from jumbo flying squid and mahi mahi fisheries obtained their fishing permits thanks to the technical assistance of the Por la Pesca partners.
- 179 artisanal divers from the octopus fishery completed their formalization processes.
- 22 vessels were registered with the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), to be able to fish legally on the high seas.
- 5 responsible fishing and consumption criteria were developed within the framework of the “La Buena Pesca” initiative.
- 1 commercial agreement was signed between the vessel owners of the Cooperativa San José and Oceano Seafood company, which allowed an increase of 9.6% in their profits, proving the benefits of formal fishing.
ECUADOR
- 150 mahi mahi were marked as part of a study to understand the migratory routes of this species, with the participation of fishers.
- 1 market study developed for the tuna fishery in Galapagos.
- 100 members of the Galapagos Artisanal Fisheries Production Cooperative, COPROPAG, benefited from the renovation of their collection center.
AUDIOVISUALS
FEATURED STORIES
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Mujeres a la Mar: Empowering Women Leaders in Fisheries to Drive Gender Equity
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Environmental Film Event in San José Highlights and Recognizes the Formalization of Artisanal Fishers
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International Registration Enables Artisanal Fishers to Access New Fishing Areas
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Report Highlights Significant Advances in Responsible Seafood Trade in Lima
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Environmental cinema in Paita: documentaries on artisanal fishing and marine conservation were presented
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Lambayeque Launches Training Courses to Support the Formalization of Artisanal Vessel Captains
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Susy Querevalú, the woman who made history in the Peruvian sea
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Mario Fiestas, promoter of the formalization of fishing cooperatives
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Meet a champion! Fisherwoman is the first woman to obtain the sanitary authorization in Piura
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