Peru’s Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) have shut down 20 anchovy fishing areas after fishermen landed more anchovy than allowed.
The government is also recommending the temporary suspension of four additional fishing areas, based on the recommendation of the Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE).
“The volume of discharged anchoveta was higher than the 416 thousand tons, equivalent to 20.81 percent of the catch quota allocated to the second fishing season,” said PRODUCE in a statement. The Ministry of Production “maintains constant vigilance” to ensure sustainability of the fishery, the agency said.
More than 600 inspectors monitor compliance with conservation measures of anchovy in its second season. They found that the weighted average number of anchovy in smaller sizes to 12 centimeters was 11.24 percent with greater frequency in sizes of 13.5 cm.
“Given the presence of youth and based on the behavior of catches, to date, has arranged PRODUCE precautionary closures of fishing areas 20 through 13 reported, four of which are in force,” PRODUCE said. The latter areas are Huacho, Huarmey, Barranca, Chepen, Trujillo, Guadalupito (La Libertad) and Callao.
However, the percentage of juvenile fish caught to date is lower than those recorded in 2010, 2012 and 2015, according to PRODUCE.
Meanwhile, total fishing production in Peru increased by 3.43 percent in October, compared to the same month in 2015, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI).
