The anchoveta: A critical ecological link

This small fish off the coast of Peru and Chile provides an important link in a food chain — and a warning about the distortions that can occur when humans misuse resources.

5 Seconds

00:00

Dec. 3, 2009

Anchovetas are pumped out from a fishing boat at a fish meal factory in Lima. Fishing vessels haul 7.5 million tons of the fish out of the water every year.

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 3, 2009

A crewman of a fishing boat pumps out fish at a fish meal factory in Lima. Very little of the anchoveta catch goes for direct human consumption; nearly all of it is reduced to fish oil and fish meal, which is fed to pigs, poultry and salmon thousands of miles away.

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 3, 2009

Anchovetas being processed at a fish meal factory in Lima. The Peruvian seabird population, which feeds on anchovetas, used to number in the tens of millions but has dropped to 2 million.

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 3, 2009

Bolicheras, or fishing boats, at anchor near a fish meal factory in Lima. Peruvians in the highlands eat anchovetas as dried snacks.

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 3, 2009

Fish undergo processing at a fish meal factory in Lima. "These fish are an important source of food, and the basis of the ecosystem," said Peruvian conservation biologist Patricia Majluf. "It's part of the global syndrome of misuse of resources."

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 3, 2009

A fishing boat crewman pumps out fish at a fish meal factory in Lima. The anchoveta's story illustrates an increasingly common global pattern: Meeting the needs of one part of the world causes ecological disruption in another part.

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 3, 2009

An airplane flies over a steaming dry fish meal factory in Lima.

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 3, 2009

The processing machines at a fish meal factory in Lima.

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Dec. 3, 2009

Sacks of fish meal stored at a factory in Lima. Fish meal from the anchoveta largely goes thousand of miles away to satisfy demand in the industrialized and rapidly growing developing world.

Ernesto Benavides / AFP/Getty Images

Featured Photo Galleries

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti of Scotland (L) celebrates as he crosses the finish line ahead of teammate Scott Dixon of New Zealand and KV Racing Technology driver Tony Kanaan of Brazil during the Indianapolis 500 autorace at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana, May 27, 2012. REUTERS/John Sommers II(UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT MOTORSPORT)

Dario Franchitti wins the Indianapolis 500

Dario Franchitti wins his third Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 27: Christian Slayton, 12 prays to a fallen soldiers memorial as motorcycles from the Rolling Thunder event pass by in Washington, DC on May 27, 2012. Slayton, who is from Raleigh, NC ran out to the makeshift memorial to say a prayer of thanks for all the veterans living and fallen. He said he wanted to thank them for letting us be free and able to have the rights that some countries never had. Riders from across the nation come together every year to ride from the Pentagon over to the National Mall as a rememberance those POW and MIAs in the Vietnam War. (Photo by Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Rolling Thunder descends on Washington

Motorcyclists take part in the annual parade ahead of Memorial Day.

Visitors stop to read the names on the Vietnam Memorial at sunrise on the fist day of the Memorial Day weekend in Washington Saturday, May 24, 2008. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

Honoring the Vietnam War’s fallen

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 24: Aaron Rubinstein, center, with fellow students, lights candles before the annual Mass for family members of the cadavers used in anatomy studies on May, 24, 2012 in Washington, DC. At right are Steven Kazuska and Meghan Kuska. (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Students express gratitude for cadavers

Georgetown University students thank the families who allowed the use of cadavers for study.

Cambodian Grilled Corn is basted with a mix of coconut milk and sugar, then grilled until caramelized. Recipe by grilling expert Steven Raichlen, for a Chef on Call lesson. (Michael Temchine for The Washington Post) Freelance Photo imported to Merlin on Fri May 16 15:10:05 2008

Memorial Day recipes

Here are some favorite burgers, entrees and desserts from our Recipe Finder database.

FAIRFAX, VA - MAY 23: US Army Veteran Sandra Strickland embraces her daughter, Heaven, 8, after dinner Wednesday May 23, 2012 in Fairfax, VA. After losing her job, custody of her children and being evicted from her apartment, Strickland moved into a home for homeless female veterans provided by Final Salute, Inc. (Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

Fairfax shelter becomes a lifeline for homeless female veterans

A former Army captain opened the shelter with last fall.

Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Volodymyr Litvin (Bottom) looks on as deputies of the Ukrainian opposition fight with deputies of the pro-presidential majority during a session of parliament in Kiev, as opposition parties protest a bill proposed by the ruling party which would make Russian an official state language along with Ukrainian. AFP PHOTO/STRINGERSTR/AFP/GettyImages

Ukrainian parliament fight, SpaceX cargo craft, Mars rover Opportunity and more in the day in photos

Ukrainian parliament fight, SpaceX cargo craft, Mars rover Opportunity and more.

Red Panda Bears sleep in the Panda Bear enclosure at the Beijing Zoo on May 22, 2012. The zoo grounds were originally a Ming Dynasty imperial palace and finally opened to the public in 1908. The zoo's history states that during the WWII, most of the zoo's animals died of starvation with only 13 monkeys and one old emu surviving the war. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTONMARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages

Barn owls, pit bulls, red pandas, cheetah cubs and more in animal views

Barn owls, pit bulls, red pandas, cheetah cubs and more.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.

National

The anchoveta: A critical ecological link

This small fish off the coast of Peru and Chile provides an important link in a food chain — and a warning about the distortions that can occur when humans misuse resources.

Featured Photo Galleries