Peru

Peru was the first Latin American country to share its vessel monitoring system (VMS) data on the Global Fishing Watch map, demonstrating leadership and a commitment to fisheries transparency. Its continued efforts in sharing data have helped create knowledge about the ocean, which has led to improved policies and effective actions in fisheries management.

The collaboration with Peru formally began in October 2017 when the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) signed a memorandum of understanding with Global Fishing Watch to share its fishing vessel data. Since the agreement was executed, more than 1,400 industrial and artisanal vessels used to fish anchovy, hake, cod, eel, tuna, squid and mahi-mahi have been publicly monitored on our map.

Peru is the second-largest fishing nation in the world. With about 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) of coastline, it is home to some of the most important fisheries globally: the anchovy, the giant squid and mahi-mahi.

The partnership with Global Fishing Watch has improved vessel monitoring to help address illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Peruvian waters, as well as supported the implementation of a PRODUCE decree from 2018 that establishes the mandatory use of VMS devices across the domestic and foreign vessels that dock in Peruvian ports.

In addition to using collated VMS data, Peru also uses Global Fishing Watch technology to track vessels using nighttime imagery, especially useful for monitoring squid fisheries, for which vessels use bright lights at night.

Over the years, the Peruvian government has increased its mandate on the use of VMS systems—especially across the artisanal fleet— which has led to more vessels being illuminated on the Global Fishing Watch map.