<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>Fisheries Research 101 (2010) 133–145</DIV>
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<DIV>The Peruvian artisanal fishery: Changes in patterns and distribution over time<BR>Carlota Estrella Arellanoa,∗, Gordon Swartzmanb<BR>a Instituto del Mar del Perú. Esq. Gamarra y Gral Valle s/n Chucuito, Callao, Peru<BR>b University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science 355020, Seattle, WA, United States</DIV>
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<DIV>a b s t r a c t<BR>Since 1996, the Peruvian Marine Research Institute (IMARPE) has been collecting data on catches by<BR>vessel, species, weight (kg), gear type and fishing grounds for all major ports of the artisanal fishery.<BR>At present, this fishery has exclusive rights to undertake commercial fishing operations within 5 miles<BR>from the Peruvian coast. During this period there have been significant changes in the composition and<BR>spatial pattern of the artisanal fishery including a reduction in catch of sardine and mullet, and increases<BR>in catches of jumbo squid, scallops and dolphin fish. Of particular note was the effect of the El Ni˜no of<BR>1997–1998, with a major reduction in the catch of anchovy and silversides and increases in shellfish<BR>(mussels and scallops), reflecting a shift during this period from a pelagic to a benthic dominated system.<BR>While the fishery has undergone relatively large changes in species composition
of catches there has been<BR>a relatively steady level of catch per trip for target species and a modest decrease in numbers of trips<BR>in the fishery. To some extent the observed changes reflect changes in environmental conditions, with a<BR>warmer period before 1999 and a cooler, higher upwelling period since then. The environmental changes<BR>were accompanied by the rapid increase of jumbo squid, a voracious predator on many commercial fish<BR>species since 1999. However, some changes reflect changes in economic conditions, for example higher<BR>oil prices and decreased selling price of many species resulting an increased focus on high value fisheries<BR>and exports including the use of set lines to produce a higher quality end-product and the holding of<BR>shellfish in pens in the sea to increase their size and bring a higher price. The Peruvian artisanal fishery<BR>features strong seasonal variation in some species, generally sustained catches
over a long time period,<BR>but changes in species dominance in the catches, reflecting a long-term regime-shift-like pattern in this<BR>highly productive region as well as the generalist nature of the fishery.</DIV>
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<DIV>Saludos cordiales,</DIV>
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<DIV>Raúl E. Sánchez Scaglioni</DIV></td></tr></table><br>