Peruvian fishing vessels will resume fishing for anchoveta and white anchoveta in the central-northern zone as of April 16 with a maximum catch quota limit of 2,475,000 tons.
Photo: Produce / Peru's Ministry of Production.
The Peruvian Ministry of Production (Produce) announced the first anchovy fishing season of 2024 in the North-Central zone of the country will start next April 16. The optimistic outlook after verifying that the biomass of the resource is higher than in previous years has led Peru authorities to set the maximum catch quota limit at 2,475,000 tons.
The anchovy fishery is of vital importance in the country - the authorities estimate that this first season of 2024 alone will generate exports of USD 831 million (EUR 780 million) and a contribution of 0.5 % to Peruvian GDP -, but it is also important for the aquaculture feed sector at a global level. As remarked by IFFO, The Marine Ingredients Organisation, Peru accounts for 20% of global fishmeal production in an average year.
After the cancellation of the first season in June last year and having closed the second one in mid-January with an unfulfilled quota - only 75% was landed before the close of the season on January 13, 2024 -, Peruvian fishing vessels will resume fishing for anchovy and white anchovy in the central-northern zone as of April 16.
The authorization comes after the study carried out by the Peruvian Institute of the Sea (Imarpe) estimated anchovy biomass of 9.97 million tons. This represents an increase of 55% over the figure recorded in the summer of 2023 and 18% more than the average between 1996 and 2023.
"The biomass of the resource is higher than in previous years, reaching 9.97 million tons. We are aware of the importance of reactivating the economy and, working together, we will make this season successful, with a positive socioeconomic impact on Peruvians," Peru's new Minister of Production, Sergio González - who took office last week -, commented on the opening of the anchovy fishing season.
The Peruvian Ministry of Production (Produce) announced the first anchovy fishing season of 2024 in the North-Central zone of the country will start next April 16. The optimistic outlook after verifying that the biomass of the resource is higher than in previous years has led Peru authorities to set the maximum catch quota limit at 2,475,000 tons.
The anchovy fishery is of vital importance in the country - the authorities estimate that this first season of 2024 alone will generate exports of USD 831 million (EUR 780 million) and a contribution of 0.5 % to Peruvian GDP -, but it is also important for the aquaculture feed sector at a global level. As remarked by IFFO, The Marine Ingredients Organisation, Peru accounts for 20% of global fishmeal production in an average year.
Produce also highlighted this restart of the fishing activity - and with it, the entire associated value chain - will accelerate the economic reactivation of the country, generating 11,400 direct jobs and 34,700 indirect jobs, also benefiting more than three thousand SMEs nationwide.
Minister González explained that this activity will generate a contribution of 24% to the fisheries' GDP, which represents a contribution of 0.5% to the national GDP. In terms of overseas trade, fisheries exports are expected to contribute more than 24%, equivalent to USD 831 million (EUR 780 million), and will represent approximately 8% of the country's total exports by the end of 2024.
"This year looks better for the fishing sector, but it requires joint, orderly, and constant work, which will allow us to move forward," concluded Sergio Gonzalez. The head of Produce stressed the need to allocate more resources to Imarpe since the constant collaboration between both bodies is vital, not just for the better use of the country's fishing resources but also to ensure the sustainability of Peruvian fisheries.
Following El Niño impact on Peru's anchovy campaign last year, at the beginning of 2024, the former head of Produce, Ana María Choquehuanca, announced that the Ministry had initiated a series of coordination actions to be ready for possible contingencies caused by the climatic phenomenon on productive activities such as fishing and aquaculture. However, despite this planning, she said: "We hope that El Niño does not hit us like last year."
It seems that her wish was granted as environmental conditions have normalized, favoring the anchovy population. "The normalization of climatic conditions, together with the arrival of cold Equatorial Kelvin Waves predicted for the coming months, are positive factors that contribute to this favorable scenario for sustainable fishing," Produce said in its release.
All of this will help to invigorate the Peruvian fishing sector and strengthen its position as a leader in sustainable fisheries at the global level. According to Produce, Peru's industrial anchovy fishery is characterized by exhaustive scientific research, constant monitoring, preventive measures, and strict control at each stage of the value chain, and it is an example of responsible and sustainable management. As mentioned above, it is of vital importance both within the country and for the aquaculture feed industry worldwide.
Precisely because of the great weight that Peruvian anchovy has in the world market for marine feed ingredients, IFFO, The Marine Ingredients Organisation, has assessed what the quota set this week means for the sector. "The industry is positive about this quota, which signals a rebound after last year’s quotas at respectively 1.09m mt (first season, canceled due to the repercussions of the El Niño event) and 1.68m mt (second season)," said IFFO's Market Research Director, Enrico Bachis.
Based on its membership, which accounts for 55% of global marine ingredients production, IFFO reported that the raw material used by a selection of countries - including Peru, Chile, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, USA or African countries - to produce marine ingredients showed an increase of approximately 20% in February 2024 compared to the same month in 2023. This was driven by the increased availability of raw materials in northern European countries and Chile.
Among the countries on which the IFFO report is based, Chile, Denmark, and Norway have shown a positive trend in fishmeal production compared to 2023. As for fish oil, cumulative production through February 2024 was 13% lower. Chile is the only country that has registered a positive trend compared to January-February 2023 after benefiting from the shortage generated by the El Niño phenomenon in Peruvian catches, which, as Camancha pointed out in its 2023 results report, was what led to the 82% increase in the price of traded fish oil.