An artisanal fisherwoman holds a jumbo flying squid while landing it at a port in Peru.
Photo: Produce.
Based once again on the principle of sustainable and adaptive fisheries management, Peru's Ministry of Production (Produce) announced the extension of the period and quota for artisanal fishing of jumbo flying squid in the country.
The total allowable catch (TAC) for the artisanal fleet with a valid permit, previously set at 76,324 tons for the period between January 1 and February 28, 2026, has now been extended until April 30, with a new TAC initially set at 179,188 tons, as part of the quota for the current year.
"This modification extends the fishing season until April and is based on adaptive management, taking into account the current conditions of the resource and the environment. With this measure, we guarantee the sustainable use of the jumbo flying squid and provide greater predictability for artisanal fishing," said the Peruvian Vice Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Jesús Barrientos.
As usual, Produce made the decision based on scientific information provided by the Peruvian Sea Institute (Imarpe), whose studies indicate a suitable scenario for the development of the jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) fishery during the current year.
A few days before setting this new quota and extending its period to next spring, the Ministry of Production had established a technical working group to develop solutions for this fishery, which is key for the country.
Aimed at bringing together the main actors in the value chain of this resource, this dialogue space reunites the authorities of Produce and Imarpe with representatives of processing plants and artisanal fishing associations from all over the country to analyze their current situation and evaluate alternative solutions in a concerted way.
Thus, during the session held in early February, the problems of the jumbo flying squid fishery were revealed in a comprehensive manner, considering biological, monitoring and enforcement angles, as well as commercial aspects.
In that context, Produce reported that, as mentioned above, according to the most recent evaluation by Imarpe, this year the jumbo flying squid population presents good biological conditions, with the presence of two generations and a usable biomass according to its historical average.
The technical working group also identified that, currently, the main difficulty for the sector is associated with price behaviour in the market, influenced by current supply conditions and the international market.
Peru's Ministry of Production noted that the recent price evolution is due to a resource availability cycle: in 2023, landings were close to 621,000 tons; in 2024, due to the El Niño event, these were reduced to approximately 188,000 tons; while in 2025, volumes close to 697,000 tons were reached, generating a significant increase in supply.
Moreover, another factor addressed at the technical working group was the high dependence on the external market, which accounts for around 95% of the destination of the Peruvian jumbo flying squid, as well as the marketing structure, which mainly uses intermediaries.
During the meeting, the need to diversify markets and move towards greater coordination between the different links in the chain was also raised.
Jesús Barrientos Ruiz, Peruvian Vice Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, participating in the jumbo flying squid technical working group.
Precisely, last November, during the Conxemar 2025 trade fair in Vigo, Spain, international buyers demanded coordination in the Pacific jumbo flying squid fishery, calling for greater traceability, compliance, and environmental and social responsibility throughout the supply chain.
Responding to that demand, in January of this year, Peru strengthened the control over jumbo flying squid fishery traceability on high seas to ensure it in accordance with international standards.
That same month, in an effort to optimize competitiveness and increase controlled landings without affecting the sustainability of the resource, Produce decided to modify the jumbo flying squid catch limits per fishing trip for artisanal vessels equipped with the government-backed Satellite Tracking System (SISESAT).
Now, Peruvian authorities reaffirmed that the technical working group on the jumbo flying squid fishery, opened in February, will allow for the evaluation of measures aimed at strengthening formalization, traceability, and productive organization, as tools to improve product quality and its commercial positioning.
"This technical working group seeks to create a space for dialogue among those who catch, market, process, and export squid. Decisions made must be based on scientific and economic information, with the aim of protecting the sustainability of the resource and the development of the value chain, paying special attention to the income of artisanal fishers," said Vice Minister Barrientos.
Therefore, according to Produce, the participants agreed to maintain a technical work agenda that allows for the formulation of proposals linked not only to the catch of the resource, but also to its marketing and productive structure, with a view to consolidating a market in which the sustainability of the jumbo flying squid fishery and the economic stability of the families that depend on the activity are a permanent focus.