Final Report: Viabilidad de Desarrollo de Productos de Valor Agregado a Través de Incentivos a la Pesca Responsable en el Pacífico Colombiano

The project is funded by USAID and implemented by the Smithsonian Institution. The report analyzes data from fishing programs collected by MarViva in the north of Chocó and by BIOREDD in Valle del Cauca and Nariño. The analysis aims to explore opportunities to add value to artisanal fisheries in these areas of the Colombian Pacific. Initially, the data was examined to generate a quick assessment of the fisheries in the region, and then this information was used to evaluate the viability of developing strategies for different communities based on guidelines produced by Dr. Stephen Box during the preliminary evaluation. The report presents a brief summary followed by a technical analysis that underlies the recommendations. The analysis focuses on the proportion of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) landings that are above the minimum size established by MarViva, as well as the volume of tuna catch according to location and season. The data suggests that there is good potential to significantly increase the value of tuna fisheries if fishermen are adequately trained, around Bahía Solano and artisanal fishing communities through the Chocó Norte. In the Chocó Norte region, 23% of the tuna caught is above the recommended minimum size. This represents a catch of approximately 84 tons of yellowfin tuna per year. The current price for 1 kg of tuna is around COP$6,000. A new price of around COP$30,000 per kg of "sushi quality" tuna would provide sufficient economic incentives for fishermen to adopt better practices through the release of smaller fish. The current price of tuna loin quality sushi in Bogotá (which is currently imported from Thailand) is US$90 per kg (approximately COP$180,000). The yield of a complete tuna compared to a tuna loin is 3:1. Therefore, a tuna loin quality sushi supplied by Pacific coast fishermen would need to have a market price of COP$90,000 (adding transportation costs and others). These figures are encouraging because the final commercialization price would be around half the price of imported alternatives, providing sufficient gains to fishermen to balance their losses through the adoption of minimum size regulations. The report also analyzes the viability of developing a tuna artesanal enlatado (canned tuna) product. The data on tuna landings suggests that the production is sufficient to support the supply of a plant for canned tuna artesanal in Buenaventura, reinforced by tuna supplied from Nuquí. The landings of tuna represent 18% of the fisheries in Buenaventa. Pital and Punta Bonita, two of the fishing communities in Buenaventura, divide the total annual catch (48% and 52% respectively). In the fisheries around the department of Nariño, there are no data on catch for any of the tuna species, so this area does not apply to our recommendations in this report. In addition to the data on yellowfin tuna landings, the data on landings of the Patiscas (Euthynnus lineatus) for the north of Chocó suggests that the peak seasons are between December and April, with the localities of El Valle and Bahía Solano presenting the highest catches in January. However, the highest proportion of the catch is landed in the communities of the municipality of Nuquí, such as Termales, Coquí, Nuquí, Partadó and Panguí. This municipality also exhibits the highest values of catch per unit of effort (CPUE) for Patiscas in Tribugá and Arusí. Therefore, the artisanal fisheries of the entire Gulf of Tribugá and the municipality of Nuquí are suitable for the development of a supply chain of Patiscas that would support high-quality sushi tuna directly for Bogotá and supply a plant to produce canned tuna artesanal in Buenaventura. The report also analyzes the viability of developing filetes de pescado empacados al vacío (vacuum-packed fish fillets) destined to compete with Tilapia. The assembly of the catch in the area of Buenaventura is