Empty nets in Latin America as fish flee El Nino
FISHERMEN along Latin America’s Pacific coast are reeling in half-empty nets as ocean warming aggravated by El Nino causes tuna, anchovies and other top catches to migrate to cooler waters.
Fishing vessels along Latin America's Pacific coast are returning with sparse catches as warming waters driven by the ongoing El Nino disrupt traditional fishing grounds. In Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Guatemala, skippers report empty nets and dwindling fish stocks close to shore, with sea temperatures up to six degrees Celsius above normal.
Juan Ollague, a 56-year-old fisherman in Santa Rosa, Ecuador, returned from a night at sea with only six small tuna, lamenting the decline of a once prosperous industry. El Nino, a natural climate cycle, is causing hotter and drier conditions in some areas, and cooler, wetter conditions in others, exacerbating the situation. During the past 10 weeks, average sea surface temperatures off the coasts of Ecuador and Panama have risen by 2.5-3°C and up to 6°C at a depth of 40 meters, respectively.
In Panama, fishermen must sail further from shore to make ends meet, spending more on fuel and ice to preserve their catch. Some have even abandoned fishing altogether, citing losses that far outweigh any earnings from dwindling fish stocks. The impact on Panama's fish market is evident, with vendors reporting reduced catch and higher costs for ice to preserve the fish.
While prices for mahi-mahi and swordfish have doubled in Ecuador, the situation remains dire for small-scale operators who can no longer earn a living.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
