The data obtained by IFFO comes from its members, who represent 55% of the global marine ingredients production.
Photo: IFFO
Global fishmeal and fish oil production remains weak in 2026, as El Niño conditions restrict raw material availability in major South American producing countries, according to marine ingredients organisation IFFO.
Peru has been particularly affected, with marine ingredient production well below historical levels so far this year, IFFO said. The country typically accounts for around 20% of global fishmeal production, but its first 2026 anchovy season in the North-Central zone ended with around a quarter of the 1,914,049 millon tonne quota caught.
Fishing had already been repeatedly interrupted before being suspended in June, as unusually warm waters affected anchovy distribution and biological conditions, and Peru has now formally ended the season this month after a scientific assessment.
Meanwhile, Chile has also recorded weaker catches during the first part of 2026, with fishing activity further constrained by a high incidence of juvenile fish. Elsewhere, lower raw material availability in Northern Europe and parts of Asia has added to the decline in global marine ingredient production, although IFFO noted that the reduction in Northern Europe is unrelated to El Niño.
IFFO said the global production outlook will increasingly depend on performance during the second half of the year, when output typically rises in several important producing countries.
Production in Morocco, China, India and Oman will therefore be important in determining how far weaker output elsewhere can be offset and what the final global result for 2026 will be.
China's marine ingredient imports have also been affected by reduced global supply, according to IFFO, while domestic fishmeal stocks have continued to fall.
The organisation said initial estimates suggest China's domestic production of marine ingredients during the first half of 2026 was higher than a year earlier, with local raw material supply expected to increase as fishing activity resumes in August and September.
At the same time, Chinese aquafeed production rose sharply during the first six months of the year. According to data cited by IFFO from the China Feed Industry Association, aquafeed output reached 11.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, an increase of 17.4% year-on-year.
Aquaculture production also increased, from approximately 29.9 million tonnes in the first half of 2025 to around 31.1 million tonnes over the same period this year.
Despite this growth, IFFO estimated that fishmeal consumption by China's aquaculture sector was slightly lower than a year earlier during the first half of 2026, although it described demand as "relatively resilient" despite supply constraints.
The organisation also noted that soybean meal prices have recently increased, while corn prices have remained broadly stable. Chinese customs data cited by IFFO showed soybean imports rising 1.5% year-on-year during the first six months of 2026.