Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a new public-private partnership to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Peru and Ecuador. IUU fishing threatens the sustainability of important artisanal fisheries and biodiversity, as well as the livelihoods and resilience of coastal communities.
USAID is providing an initial $5.7 million to launch this new activity. This activity is in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation, which is contributing $12.5 million, and a coalition of environmental nongovernmental organizations led by Peruvian partner Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental, which will implement the project.
This new partnership promotes sustainable and profitable fishing practices in Ecuador and Peru, to significantly reduce IUU fishing by artisanal fishing fleets. The project targets four socioeconomically important artisanal fisheries in Peru and Ecuador, including the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken made this announcement during a visit to a local fish market in Lima, Peru, as part of his visit for the Organization of American States General Assembly.