12 JUNE 2016 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG activity that could become an engine of development under the National Productive Diversification Plan (PNDP) and the Aquaculture Executive Board that is being promoted by the Ministry of Production. It is estimated that, in the next five years, aquaculture will constitute not less than 15 percent of GDP in the fisheries sector. Peruvian aquaculture gives direct employment to around 100,000 people and the production chain provides livelihoods for at least 350,000 people. Characteristics and Growth of Peruvian Aquaculture Peruvian aquaculture production is concentrated in five main areas (Fig. 4): Piura (50 percent; scallops, shrimp and tilapia), Tumbes (14 percent; shrimp), Puno (19 percent; trout cage culture in Lake Titicaca), Ancash (12 percent; scallops) and Junin (2 percent; trout cultured in raceways). The proportion of the four main species cultured in 2014 by volume were scallops (45 percent), trout (31 percent), shrimp (19 percent) and tilapia (4 percent). Amazonian species such as Colossoma, Piaractus and Arapaima and others represent about 1 percent. From time to time, scallops and shrimp are affected by El Niño impacts, typically every ten to twenty years. Facing this threat, commercial ventures on marine and Amazonian species need to be developed. Aquaculture production is supported mainly by small- and medium-scale producers followed by large-scale companies (30 percent). Products and Markets The value of aquaculture exports from Peru in 2000 was US$ 10 million and in 2014 US$ 302 million, almost 30 times more (Fig. 5) and, with the implementation of the new General Aquaculture Peru as a Country for Aquaculture Peru is a country with one of the greatest diversity of environments and species in the world. It is also characterized by its geographical and climate diversity, having 28 of 32 possible environments. The surface area of the country is 1,285,216 km2 with a highly productive coast line extending for 3,080 km. The country has 3.5 percent of global freshwater resources. Peru has a prominent marine and continental fisheries activity. The productivity of the Humboldt Current in Peru is considered to be the highest in the world (Fig.1). The country is the world’s largest producer of fishmeal and fish oil, derived from the Peruvian anchoveta fishery. Effectively managed, these strategic aquafeed ingredients could give competitive advantages for the production of high-value aquaculture species. Peru’s aquatic biodiversity creates multiple aquaculture opportunities. The country’s location allows efficient access to markets, generating great opportunities to produce value-added products in aquaculture, giving high-quality jobs and decentralized development. The Peruvian economy is considered to be stable and several commercial trade agreements have been signed with global partners during the last decade. According to the FAO, aquaculture production in Peru (125,693 t) was the fifth largest in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2013 (Fig. 2). Production in Peru has increased by 12 times in the last decade. According to official statistics (Ministry of Production), Peruvian aquaculture production increased from around 5,000 t in 1993 to more than 120,000 t in 2013, representing an average increase of 20 percent per year (Fig. 3). The reduction of production in 2014 and 2015 was mainly due to scallop seed scarcity and algae blooms present during the uncommon El Niño phenomenon. Aquaculture in Peru is a productive and sustainable economic Aquaculture in Peru Christian Berger and Dagoberto Sanchez FIGURE 1. Map of marine currents near Peru. FIGURE 2. Aquaculture production in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2013.
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