Currently we are in the first stages of writing the master park management plan. As part of that process, the staff needed to go out and meet the different stakeholders in the different communities, both to explain the protected area to them and also hear their concerns. The park started this process in March and finished this week, holding 22 workshops along the entire coast of Peru, and in my time since I arrived in Peru, I've been able to join four of them.
The workshops usually include different local and regional authorities, NGOs and Universities, and local fishermen and tour operators. The mix varies, with some mostly made up of local government, and our most recent being almost entirely fishermen. Sometimes the meetings have been held in larger regional centers, and sometimes in small fishing villages. We usually work to identify stakeholders, define the vision for the area, and then do some diagnostic activities about biodiversity, fishing, and tourism in the area.
It's been a good opportunity to hear from fishermen about the challenges they are facing, with the principle one being the industrial anchovy fishery. While the 5 miles closest to the coastline are supposed to be reserved for artisanal fishermen, often the anchovy fleet is there, catching lots of other fish in their large nets and catching large quantities of this important forage fish that other species depend on. The fishermen also complain that local authorities and enforcement are largely absent. It's frustrating to hear all their concerns and have to remind them that our jurisdiction is only over a small polygon drawn in the ocean.
Now our office is on to the next step, and I've been actively working to write of the workshop summaries and find ways to synthesize all of the data we've collected.
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