IFFO warns: Peru announces extended anchovy fishing ban

In its April report, IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation already warned that the slow Peruvian anchovy season was shaping the global marine ingredients market, especially since the South American country had just announced a new temporary suspension of the fishery that would extend until June 10. Today, the organization has issued a new statement warning that Peru has announced an extended anchovy fishing ban.

"Under ongoing Coastal El Niño conditions, the Peruvian authorities have extended the current fishing ban, which was running until 10 June 2026, in the maritime area stretching from the northern limit of Peru's maritime domain to 16°00′S. No date has been announced for the termination of the suspension," IFFO's release reads.

Subject to the scientific evaluation of the Peruvian Institute of the Sea (Imarpe)—on whose scientific criteria Peru's Ministry of Production (Produce) bases its fisheries management—, IFFO recalled that the country's Vice Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture could lift the measure in full, in part or gradually, depending on the update of the biological, fishing and environmental conditions.

However, the organization also highlighted that the repeated suspensions—there was another of ten days at the end of April—reflect ongoing concerns about warm waters and the high proportion of juvenile fish, as this points to a biomass that is still present, but dispersed.

Thus, amid widespread weaker fishmeal and fish oil production compared to the same period last year, Enrico Bachis, Market Director at IFFO, noted that "Peru accounts for a large share of global fishmeal and fish oil supply, implying that disruptions quickly tighten availability."

Peru accounts for 20% of the global production of fishmeal and fish oil

Although IFFO bases its data on statistics shared by the organization's members in Peru, Chile, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Norway, the UK, the U.S., South Africa, and Spain—which together account for 40% of global fishmeal production and 50% of fish oil production—, the organization always emphasizes the role of Peru because the South American country alone accounts for around 20% of the world's production of both.

Thereby, in its warning note today, IFFO said that current global trends in marine ingredients point to generally weaker fishmeal production than in the same period last year. Specifically, fishmeal production in April 2026 fell by 2% year-on-year, while cumulative production was down 26% compared to 2025.

In this global context, The Marine Ingredients Organisation said that the United States was the main exception, while Denmark/Norway and African countries recorded the sharpest monthly declines.

For its part, fish oil production also declined, falling 19% year-on-year in April 2026 and with a cumulative reduction of 14%. In this case, the cumulative picture was more heterogeneous across regions than in the case of fishmeal: Spain stood out with a cumulative increase in production of 36%, and Chile remained practically stable, while Peru, Iceland/North Atlantic, and African countries drove the overall decline.

At the time of writing this news, Produce had not yet made an official announcement regarding this extended anchovy fishing ban. However, in announcing the previous suspension, its head, Minister César Quispe Luján, emphasized that the sustainability of the resource not only protects the biomass but also ensures the continuity of the fishing industry, the work of fishermen, and the economic security of the entire Peruvian production chain.

"We are acting responsibly to ensure that anchovy fishing remains sustainable, within the framework of adaptive management. Protecting the resource today means guaranteeing future successful seasons, preserving thousands of jobs, and safeguarding the well-being of the families that depend directly and indirectly on this activity," he stated.