At-sea solid waste production by a small-scale fishery in Peru.

Marine litter is a growing environmental problem for which fisheries-sourced waste remains poorly understood. In Peru, there is an ongoing challenge of waste management from the small-scale fisheries fleet given the lack of facilities to receive the variety of debris produced by fishers, which includes hazardous wastes such as batteries. In this study, onboard solid waste production was monitored daily by land-based observers upon landing at the port of Salaverry, Peru, from March to September 2017. The analysed small-scale gillnet and longline fishing fleets produced annually an estimated 11,260 kg of solid waste. Of particular concern is the production of single use plastics (3427 kg) and batteries (861 kg) due to their potential long-lasting impacts on the environment and challenges related to their proper disposal. A management plan for solid waste has been developed for Salaverry; therefore, a subsequent assessment was conducted in 2021-2022 of the behaviours and perceptions of fishers regarding the implementation of this plan. Most fishers (96%) reported disposing of their waste on land, except organic waste which is disposed of at sea. While fishers in Salaverry have become more conscious of the issues surrounding at-sea waste disposal and have an interest in better segregating and managing their waste, there remains a need for improved waste management and recycling protocols and procedures at the port to make this possible.

Lessons from 12 years of marine fauna stranding data in the south of Peru.

In Peru, while several mass mortality events have been reported in the last two decades, there has been minimal systematic stranding monitoring. In this study, we report on repeated stranding monitoring that took place between October 2003 and October 2015, at Ite beach, Tacna (17° 54' 47" S 70° 58' 21" W). The objectives of the study were to assess the proportion of strandings by taxon and whether there were seasonal effects on abundance of stranded marine fauna. The study location was assessed opportunistically by trained observers who recorded and identified every stranded marine animal to the highest taxonomic degree possible. Stranded specimens of seabirds and marine mammals were grouped into overarching taxa of coastal and oceanic seabirds, and cetaceans and carnivorans. A principal component analysis (PCA) to visualize the association among stranded taxa registered along the study period and sea surface temperature anomalies using the Oceanic El Niño Index (ONI 3.4) and El Niño Coastal Index (ICEN) indexes and a Kruskal-Wallis test were conducted to evaluate abundance differences among taxonomic groups, taxa strandings and seasons. A total of 17,827 carcasses were encountered, 92.4% was seabirds and 7.6% marine mammals. Differences in abundances were significant among coastal and oceanic seabirds and marine mammals. Significant differences among seasons for cormorants and boobies were also identified. Coastal seabirds and pinnipeds dominated the stranding counts. A massive mortality of cormorants and boobies was registered between June and July 2014 possibly due to a moderate El Niño event. These strandings provide valuable information that could help lay the groundwork for implementation of a stranding network and science-based management projects in southern Peru.

Patterns of spatial and temporal distribution of humpback whales at the southern limit of the Southeast Pacific breeding area.

Understanding the patterns of spatial and temporal distribution in threshold habitats of highly migratory and endangered species is important for understanding their habitat requirements and recovery trends. Herein, we present new data about the distribution of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in neritic waters off the northern coast of Peru: an area that constitutes a transitional path from cold, upwelling waters to warm equatorial waters where the breeding habitat is located. Data was collected during four consecutive austral winter/spring seasons from 2010 to 2013, using whale-watching boats as platforms for research. A total of 1048 whales distributed between 487 groups were sighted. The spatial distribution of humpbacks resembled the characteristic segregation of whale groups according to their size/age class and social context in breeding habitats; mother and calf pairs were present in very shallow waters close to the coast, while dyads, trios or more whales were widely distributed from shallow to moderate depths over the continental shelf break. Sea surface temperatures (range: 18.2-25.9°C) in coastal waters were slightly colder than those closer to the oceanic realm, likely due to the influence of cold upwelled waters from the Humboldt Current system. Our results provide new evidence of the southward extension of the breeding region of humpback whales in the Southeast Pacific. Integrating this information with the knowledge from the rest of the breeding region and foraging grounds would enhance our current understanding of population dynamics and recovery trends of this species.