Meet the women revolutionising Peru’s fishing sector
For Marisol, the success of their female-led business is more than just economic.
Marisol Churacutipa and Reyna Callata have had success with their business, adding natural dye to give trout more flavour and value. ©FAO/Jordi Vaque
When Peruvian fisher, Karin Abensur, caught nearly 800 kilograms of fish early one morning five years ago, she calculated roughly how much she would earn. “I thought, worst case scenario, they would give me 6 soles (USD 1.76) per kilo,” Karin said. But when she returned to the port of Pucusana in central Peru, after four hours on the high seas, she was disappointed to be offered just 1 sol per kilogram – roughly USD 0.30. "They told me to take it, because no one would give me more.”
This captures a grim reality for many people, like Karin, who make a living in Peru’s fisheries sector. The market value of common species like spiny dogfish and angelshark, which are abundant along the Peruvian coast, is generally low. Fishing has always been Karin’s passion, but after studying marketing at university, she realised that she had to get creative if she wanted to turn her passion into a livelihood. Soon after, she started her new business: transforming fish that have a lower market price into sought-after products, such as fish that is cut and prepared for sushi.
She was inspired by the Asian food trend taking Peru by storm. “There’s a boom of Asian restaurants in Lima,” Karin said, “Many people want to eat sushi, but some cannot afford it.”
Her business, Karin Ecofish, teaches female workers to use innovative cutting techniques in order to create new products from the fish she captures. They are now skilled in making the intricate, Japanese-style cuts that fetch a higher price in the market. "I am taking a chance and creating Asian-style cuts, but with bonito,” she says, referring to a cheap locally caught fish that tastes similar to tuna.
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