Peru’s Production Ministry (PRODUCE) has closed the first anchovy fishing season for 2025 in the country’s North-Central region due to the high presence of juveniles in the catches.
PRODUCE said in a release that the move responded to “biological conditions that require immediate conservation action” to protect the spawning and juvenile stock, as recommended by its technical arm, the Peruvian Sea Institute (Imarpe). The closure was effective as of 24 July, after which industrial fleets had 24 hours to complete final landings of their catch and 48 hours for processing.
“The decision adopted by the ministry is supported by science and permanent monitoring of our main fishery. This is a timely measure aimed at guaranteeing the sustainability of the anchovy,” Fisheries and Aquaculture Deputy Minister Jesús Barrientos said.
In April, Peruvian authorities established a total allowable catch (TAC) of 3 million metric tons (MT) for the season, based on technical and biological reports submitted by Imarpe. The TAC was the second-highest seasonal quota in the last decade, PRODUCE announced at the time.
However, with an earlier than expected season closing, the total catch reached 2.46 million MT – just 81.9 percent of the TAC.
The move marked a new turn of events for the world’s largest fishery by volume, with which Peru contributes about 20 percent of the raw materials used for the global production of fishmeal and fish oil. In June, IFFO – the Marine Ingredients Organization - said Peru’s first 2025 anchovy-fishing season was “well on track.” Accordingly, it predicted solid fishmeal and fish oil production for this year as a result.
However, even with Peru’s industrial fleets not meeting the TAC, IFFO Market Research Director Enrico Bachis said that its 2025 estimates for fishmeal and fish oil production remain at 5.6 million MT and 1.2 million to 1.3 million MT, respectively.
Peru divides its anchovy fishing areas into two regions – South and North-Central – with different capture limits and seasons set for each. The North-Central is Peru’s main fishing region, with capture measuring several times that of the South region. The fishery targets both Engraulis ringens and Anchoa nasus anchovies for use in indirect human consumption.
The second fishing season has officially opened in the South, with officials saying the first anchovy-fishing season in that region had been the best in recent years.
“We are witnessing a recovery in anchovy fishing in the south, which represents a great opportunity for fishers, companies, and communities linked to this activity. This rebound not only boosts the regional economy, but also strengthens our capacity for sustainable and responsible production,” Barrientos said in April regarding the first season when the TAC was 251,000 MT.
