LIMA (Peru), June 25: Peruvian officials say nine commercial fishermen are known dead and three are missing after two trawlers collided off the nation’s central coast, capsizing one.
Navy spokesman Capt Colver Ruiz says the collision occurred just after midnight yesterday about 13 nautical miles from the port of Pisco. He says all 15 crewmen on the Marisol II were thrown into the sea when it capsized, and the three who were rescued had nearly drowned.
Ruiz says the incident is under investigation.
He says both 15-metre trawlers were fishing for anchoveta, which is mostly processed into fishmeal for export.
The ship that remained afloat belongs to Tasa, the world’s No 1 producer of fishmeal.
Peru’s coastal waters are the world’s leading source of anchoveta, the most heavily exploited fish in history. (AGENCIES)
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