Giving Compass' Take:

• Julie Budkowski shares how Future of Fish is helping Peru's small-scale fisheries remain uninfected and functioning during COVID-19.

• How can we work to transport PPE from countries of excess to communities that have been neglected and marginalized? What can you do to support critical, local markets like Peru's small-scale fisheries?

• Find reliable funds to direct your giving towards COVID-19 response efforts.

In Peru, small-scale fisheries play a critical role in food security, supplying approximately 95% of the seafood consumed domestically. But without personal protective equipment (PPE), even essential work such as fishing becomes too high risk, leaving communities without food or fishers risking their own health or livelihood. Sourcing the PPE and sanitation resources needed for businesses to open safely has been difficult in the developed world, and even harder in countries like Peru, where it is urgently needed and for many small-scale fishers and market vendors, nearly impossible to find.

The need for PPE is especially acute in Peru’s small fishing villages like La Islilla, where limited medical infrastructure, dirt road access and no running water means that the spread of COVID-19 would be catastrophic. La Islila is a small town on Peru’s north coast that was settled by fishermen back in the 1800s. It is a tight-knit community of 300 fishing families who use traditional fishing techniques to supply fish for both domestic and international markets.

Future of Fish’s “PPE for Fisheries” campaign is working to source PPE and sanitation essentials like soap, cloth masks, latex gloves, hand sanitizer, bleach and thermometers. The campaign starts with La Islilla, with the intention to expand into nearby communities once funds are raised and supply lines are secured.  “This campaign is a critical first step to support the safety and food security of these coastal communities,” says Marah Hardt, Future of Fish’s Director of Discovery. “But we also believe that stabilizing local seafood trade today will also help create greater resiliency for these communities by building the networks and supply chains that can better respond to global shocks in the future.”

Read the full article about Peru's small-scale fisheries by Julie Budkowski at Global Washington.