Anchovy biomass off the coast of Peru is healthy, and prospects for a successful second anchovy-fishing season in 2024 in the nation’s North-Central zone are looking positive, according to the Peruvian Sea Institute (Imarpe) – a technical branch of the Peruvian Production Ministry (PRODUCE).
Imarpe recently highlighted that anchovy landings in the North-Central zone’s first season, which wrapped up over the summer, reached 98 percent of the PRODUCE-established 2.48 million metric ton (MT) total allowable catch (TAC).
That result was a relief for the industry, considering the previous two seasons had significantly underperformed: In January 2024, PRODUCE closed the country’s second anchovy season early, following the complete cancelation of the first season of 2023.
The fishery – one of the world’s largest – is highly important for Peru as it brings in billions of dollars in revenue, and for the global seafood industry, as the country’s anchovy catch is used to produce about 20 percent of global fishmeal supplies.
Cumulative global fishmeal and fish oil production has increased this year thanks in large part to the strong first anchovy season in Peru this year, according to IFFO - The Marine Ingredients Organization, a trade group representing several leading fishmeal and fish oil companies.
With the results of the most recent scientific survey performed by Imarpe coming back positive, this year’s second season will likely be launched around the beginning of November, a spokesperson from Imarpe told SeafoodSource.
Imarpe has already concluded a second evaluation cruise for pelagic resources, and with this information, it will be able to determine exact conditions for the start of the second fishing season.
“Although the publication of the Imarpe report is pending, everything seems to indicate that anchovy biomass is healthy and should be around 10 million MT,” former Imarpe Director and Agrarian University La Molina Professor Luis Icochea said. “However, it is important to emphasize that industrial vessels are only authorized to catch up to a maximum of 35 percent of the total observable biomass so that more than 65 percent remains at sea for the continuity of the species. The only way to continue with this activity … is to carry out responsible and sustainable fishing.”
Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Jesús Barrientos said …
