Peru’s fishing industry body has called on the country’s Constitutional Court to halt the issuing of court orders by regional magistrates that have allowed an illegal fishing operation to continue operating.
The National Society of Fisheries (SNP) was addressing a court order issued by a magistrate in the port of Callao, which allowed a fishery businessman, Oscar Peña Aparicio, to continue operating despite a lack of any licensing, according to a report in Diario Correo.
The newspaper has dubbed Peña the “king of illegal fishing” and alleged that he has extracted some 225,000 metric tons of anchovy, valued at PEN 66 million (USD 20 million, EUR 17.1 million), without any permit over the past seven years.
In a statement, the SNP called on the court to make a definite ruling on a lawsuit presented by Peru’s executive branch that seeks to halt the court orders in question. SNP President Elena Conterno said that fishing permits are the exclusive authority of Peru’s production minister.
The report alleged that Peña has a vast network of officials in his pocket, including judges, police, and politicians, allowing him to keep his operation running.
For its part, the SNP clarified that Peña has no association with the organization. Conterno said her organization “has had bad experiences with judges, who we have denounced before the Magistrate Control Office, resulting in their sanction.”
“However, after three years of process, the penalties were lifted through a court injunction,” Conterno said. “This is a mockery to the citizens.”
Photo courtesy of SNP
