El Niño begins to impact the fishing industry in Ecuador

Published Jun 15, 2023

Tridge summary

The article highlights the impact of the El Niño phenomenon, now official in the central Pacific and expected to worsen in Ecuador, on the country's fishing industry, particularly affecting tuna and other species. The National Chamber of Fisheries reports a 9% decrease in tuna exports and an overall slowdown in catch, leading to concerns about job losses and economic impacts. The National Federation of Artisanal Fishing Cooperatives of Ecuador (Fenacopec) is coordinating government aid and contingency plans, as the warmer waters have caused a 30% drop in fish catch and have resulted in dead fish with damaged guts. The rising sea temperatures are also causing a sea level rise, impacting crab fishing. The article notes that the 1997 El Niño event had similarly devastated the sector.

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Original content

The tropical tuna is known as the fish without a homeland. It is a highly migratory species that travels the oceans, associated with currents and temperatures between 24 and 27 degrees. When events like El Niño change conditions, tunas migrate. The National Chamber of Fisheries, which last year added exports for USD 2,000 million, registers a 9% decrease in exports so far in 2023. And this gap responds to a slowdown in the tuna catch, for a month and a half . The El Niño phenomenon is officially installed in the central Pacific and is expected to develop in Ecuador from July or early August. However, its effects have already begun to impact industrial and artisanal fishing in the country. The National Federation of Artisanal Fishing Cooperatives of Ecuador (Fenacopec) expressed its concern about the impact of the gradual warming of the sea, off the coast. In fact, the agency reports a 30% drop in the catch of fish. The warm temperature anomalies off the coast began in February. ...

Source: Primicias