There are no numbers yet of what has been the actual damages of the shrimp sector of Pedernales left by the earthquake that struck the coastal area of Ecuador. What owners, managers and workers of this activity know is that one of the two lungs that give life to this town, along with tourism, has also been hit.
Last week, in Cheve Bajo, a town located 25 minutes from downtown Pedernales, Fernando Jama, manager of the Campos shrimp farms, and five more workers tried to repair two valves in the pipeline that carries water from the nearest estuary to the shrimp farms. The quake severely affected these basic facilities for production.
Jama says that he was among the few people who remained in the area. His responsibility as a manager, in addition to the lack of work opportunities in Pedernales and the surrounding areas, would have made him decide to stay. But he feels fear.
“Pedernales would not exist if it were not for the shrimp. This is the economic base of Pedernales and its surrounding areas,” he said.
