The General Comptroller’s Office of the Republic of Peru discovered that, between January 2020 and July 2023, seven officials from the Ministry of Production (Produce) irregularly granted permits for the export of shark fins from Peru. In this way, they benefited several companies in a case related to illegal shark fishing.
The oversight authority concluded that the officials from the Vice Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture should be criminally reported to the Public Ministry.
These irregularities arose at a critical time for the country, as the Standing Committee of CITES recommended a mission to evaluate the illegal shark fishing and trade in Peru.
The departure of the director general and two members of the Sanctions Appeal Council (Conas) of the Ministry of Production raised an alarm due to a possible weakening in the supervision of illegal fishing, as reported by Mongabay Latam in an article. The changes will affect the Conas chambers in charge of resolving appeals against fines imposed on 11 companies for illegal fishing in the Paracas National Reserve.
The fines amount to 12 million soles (more than 3,260,400 dollars) and could expire if Conas does not confirm them in a timely manner in the second instance. According to the same source, the new officials were pointed out by the Comptroller in 2023 for approving irregular permits.
Changes in Conas and Possible Consequences of Illegal Shark Fishing
On February 6, Rosa Zavala Correa, the director general of Conas, submitted her irrevocable resignation to Sergio González, Minister of Production. In her letter, Zavala explains that her departure is due to modifications in the area formalized through a ministerial resolution.
The resolution concluded the duties of Luis Alva Burga and César Zelaya Tafur, presidents of the First and Second Transitory Fisheries Chamber and the Specialized Transitory Single Chamber in Fisheries of Conas. Veronica Carola Caballero Gonzáles and Jaime Antonio de la Torre Obregón were appointed to replace them.
In her resignation letter, Zavala points out that Alva Burga and Zelaya Tafur were in charge of resolving the 99 appeals filed by companies sanctioned for illegal fishing in the Paracas National Reserve. Until their removal, two of the 99 sanctions imposed had been confirmed.
Officials Investigated for Irregularities
According to the Comptroller, seven Produce officials, including Caballero Gonzáles and de la Torre Obregón, irregularly issued 35 export permits for over 24 tons of shark fins. These permits would have benefited Lamarqocha Inversiones, Angaff Perú, Exportaciones JME, and Full Moont.
The 24 tons of resources belonged to threatened shark species, protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This international body seeks to protect certain species from overexploitation and illicit trafficking; exporting companies require a CITES permit to market these products.
According to an initial report by the Comptroller, De la Torre Obregón did not verify compliance with the conditions and requirements established in the CITES convention and regulations, allowing seven landing certificates to be reused.
In a second report, De la Torre and Caballero, who was the general director of Fishing for Direct and Indirect Human Consumption at Produce, irregularly issued 33 permits for shark fin exports.
According to the Comptroller, Caballero Gonzáles did not carry out the verification and control actions regarding compliance with the functions of the CITES Administrative Authority, under the responsibility of De la Torre. This allowed the reuse of 224 landing certificates.
Faced with these events, the Comptroller recommended initiating an administrative process against both officials, who have now been appointed as new members of Conas. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office informed the mentioned portal that in December 2024, they requested the start of preliminary investigations for the criminal probe against both officials.
Cover photo: Public Ministry of Peru
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