TY - JOUR
T1 - An analysis of the early impacts of COVID-19 on Peruvian fisheries and mariculture
AU - Kluger, L. C.
AU - Garteizgogeascoa, M.
AU - Gonzales, I. E.
AU - Odar, L. A.
AU - Flitner, M.
AU - Damonte, G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
PY - 2023/11/1
Y1 - 2023/11/1
N2 - The coastal waters off Peru are among the world's most productive, thanks to the Humboldt Current and its strong coastal upwelling. Fisheries and an ever-expanding mariculture sector provide millions of Peruvians livelihoods, income, and nutrition. Coastal communities engaging with these sectors face a volatile environment they have historically adapted to. But when the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in 2020, affecting all aspects of life, challenges for the fisheries and mariculture sectors emerged to a yet unprecedented extent. This work applies a mixed-method approach for documenting and analysing the effects of the pandemic on the Peruvian seafood sector and seafood worker's economy in particular. Mobility restrictions and market closures disrupted seafood supply chains, altering access to nutrition and income for many people involved. Interviewees aimed to diversify livelihood strategies and use personal networks to withstand the crisis, while some established adaptation strategies, such as migration towards other fishing grounds, were largely impeded. Our results highlight the vulnerability of seafood value chains - mainly artisanal and small-scale fisheries - in the face of such a global crisis. The implications of the pandemic for the long-term sustainability of Peruvian coastal-marine activities are discussed and set into the context of previously experienced crises in the region.
AB - The coastal waters off Peru are among the world's most productive, thanks to the Humboldt Current and its strong coastal upwelling. Fisheries and an ever-expanding mariculture sector provide millions of Peruvians livelihoods, income, and nutrition. Coastal communities engaging with these sectors face a volatile environment they have historically adapted to. But when the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in 2020, affecting all aspects of life, challenges for the fisheries and mariculture sectors emerged to a yet unprecedented extent. This work applies a mixed-method approach for documenting and analysing the effects of the pandemic on the Peruvian seafood sector and seafood worker's economy in particular. Mobility restrictions and market closures disrupted seafood supply chains, altering access to nutrition and income for many people involved. Interviewees aimed to diversify livelihood strategies and use personal networks to withstand the crisis, while some established adaptation strategies, such as migration towards other fishing grounds, were largely impeded. Our results highlight the vulnerability of seafood value chains - mainly artisanal and small-scale fisheries - in the face of such a global crisis. The implications of the pandemic for the long-term sustainability of Peruvian coastal-marine activities are discussed and set into the context of previously experienced crises in the region.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - Peru
KW - coastal communities
KW - crises
KW - vulnerability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85179428692&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/icesjms/fsad140
DO - 10.1093/icesjms/fsad140
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85179428692
SN - 1054-3139
VL - 80
SP - 2280
EP - 2294
JO - ICES Journal of Marine Science
JF - ICES Journal of Marine Science
IS - 9
ER -