"Taking care of the jumbo flying squid is taking care of the livelihoods of thousands of Peruvian families," said Peruvian Vice Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Jesús Barrientos.
Photo: Produce.
Peru's Ministry of Production (Produce) announced that the jumbo flying squid fishery has been suspended as of 00:00 hours this Monday, June 30, 2025, two months before its official expiration date scheduled for August 31. Produce explained that the suspension has been arranged in a decision that seeks to balance the economic needs of the fishery with the sustainability of the resource.
At the beginning of the season, Produce set the total allowable catch (TAC) of jumbo flying squid at 190,000 tons. Then, in June, following scientific studies carried out by the Peruvian Sea Institute (Imarpe), it was decided to increase that TAC by 100,000 tons to 290,000, while the extraction period, as mentioned above, was extended until the end of August. The good prospects meant that, still in June, the quota was further extended to 304,209 tons.
However, the abundance of the resource - also known as Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) - led to a high concentration of jumbo flying squid in areas very close to the coast, which made it easier to catch for all types of vessels, causing a period of high landings which, in turn, led to the TAC being reached in a much shorter time than expected.
As a result, and following Produce's order, as of midnight last Monday, the fishery was suspended and only those vessels with authorization to set sail issued before the closure went into effect will be able to land this species.
Beyond quotas, Peru has been regulating all year to reinforce the protection of jumbo flying squid. It did so with the approval in March of the new Fisheries Management Regulation to manage the exploitation of the species while ensuring its sustainability, and went further in June with a package of measures responding to the need to guarantee the responsible use of this important Peruvian hydrobiological resource.
Speaking now about the suspension of the season, the Vice Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Jesús Barrientos, emphasized this idea. "This measure not only obeys the criteria of conservation of the resource, but also a responsible management that seeks to ensure the continuity of fishing activity over time," he said.
"Taking care of the jumbo flying squid is taking care of the livelihoods of thousands of Peruvian families," Barrientos added. Jumbo flying squid fishery involves 4,475 artisanal vessels in Peru, generating direct employment for more than 14,000 fishermen, and benefiting some 70,000 people in the country.