Fishers and sea turtles are unexpectedly teaming off the coast of southern Peru, where the blue waves of the Pacific meet the rocky shoreline. A sad result of industrial fishing, the mahi-mahi fishery in the area has inadvertently caught endangered turtles in its hooks for decades. Now, though, a government-led project is transforming fishermen into unusual environmentalists by arming them with the tools and knowledge needed to safely release these ancient mariners. Among them is seasoned Ilo fisher Gustavo Rosales, who has unintentionally become a defender of the equilibrium of the sea. “There would be no equilibrium without the turtles,” he says. This is the chronicle of Peru’s fishermen rewriting the narrative of bycatch one rescue at a time.
The Deadly Cost of Bycatch: A Global Problem Hits Home
Unintentionally killed annually by fishing activities worldwide are hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals. Long a vital source of income, the mahi-mahi fishery in Peru has silently killed loggerhead, green, even the large leatherback turtles. Often drowning before fishermen can intervene, attracted by bait meant for fish, turtles swallow hooks or become caught in lines.
Now, a 2022 rule requires at least one crew member on each boat to undergo specific bycatch mitigating training. “We’ve trained over 4,472 fishers,” says Jesús Nieves of Peru’s National Fund for Fisheries Development (FONDEPES), “but our goal is 10,000. Every boat has to be able to manage these rescues. The stakes are high: some turtle populations may disappear in decades without intervention.
From Threat to Protector: A Fisher’s Transformation
Having spent more than thirty years fishing mahi-mahi, Gustavo Rosales remembers the old methods when turtles were hauled aboard haphazardly, running the danger of injuring either animal or human. “We used ropes to pull hooks out before. Turtles bit us occasionally in panic, he notes. A terrified hawksbill claimed one crewmate’s finger.
Rosales and his staff now make use of shears, pliers, and hoop nets from training sessions. The updated protocol is exact:
- Put the turtle in a net to prevent stress.
- Find the hook; cut it if it seems buried too deeply.
- Before release, clean the shell of parasitic mollusks.
“It’s slower but safer,” Rosales says. ” The leatherbacks? They apparently know we are helping.
The Unseen Challenges: Sea Lions, Squid, and Shrinking Fish
Fishing in these waters is a fight against the vagaries of nature. Inside this zone, sea lions destroy catches, biting mahi-mahi bellies and making them unsellable, Rosales writes of the “100-mile rule.” Fishers have to go farther, where fur seals less damaging patrol. Distance does, however, also bring fresh hazards: mechanical breakdowns, stronger currents, and the constant threat of sperm whale collisions.
Still another concerning tendency? shrinking fish. “Mahi-mahi used to reach 2 meters,” Rosales says regretfully. Most now barely measure one metre. Too many boats, perhaps? Underneath the bycatch solution, overfishing looms as a quiet disaster.
Beyond Turtles: A Ripple Effect of Conservation
The effects of the instruction go beyond turtles. Fishers’ increased awareness helps sea birds, sharks, even dolphins. Now, boats carry garbage bags to prevent plastic dumping a small but important change. Rosales contends, however, for more general institutional change: “The government favors industrial fleets. Small fishermen must help to support higher prices and tighter quotas.
Ironically, hope also comes from the same waters that endanger turtles. Rosales remembers a sperm whale desperately ramming his boat: “It was terrible, but I understood. Here we are all battling to survive.
The Road Ahead: Can Peru Scale Its Success?
Although the program serves other countries as a model, challenges still exist:
- Training requirements are not followed by every crew member.
- Funding constraints: Tools and seminars call for ongoing commitment.
- Older fishermen object to new techniques.
Rosales is a pragmatist: “Fines won’t work.” Show us why it matters using statistics and films. Make us colleagues rather than targets.
A Fisher’s Plea: “The Sea Is Our Life”
To Rosales, the sea represents wonder as well as a place of employment. He talks of unexplained deep-sea events and dolphins riding bow waves. Still, his biggest pride comes from He says, ” releasing a turtle.” Seeing it swim free is everything.
The story of Peru’s fishermen reflects a universal truth: conservation works best when those who depend on nature lead the charge. Their role from harvesters to guardians is changing. The issue now is whether the planet will copy their behavior.
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Jan loves Wildlife and Animals and is one of the founders of Animals Around The Globe. He holds an MSc in Finance & Economics and is a passionate PADI Open Water Diver. His favorite animals are Mountain Gorillas, Tigers, and Great White Sharks. He lived in South Africa, Germany, the USA, Ireland, Italy, China, and Australia. Before AATG, Jan worked for Google, Axel Springer, BMW and others.
