"We are convinced that this year the sector will recover compared to 2023," the Minister of Production said on presenting Peru's fisheries results in May.
Photo: Produce.
If in April it registered an increase of 158.40% compared to the same month of 2023, the following month Peru's fishing sector more than doubled this figure. The Peruvian Ministry of Production (Produce), reported that, driven by the successful anchovy season, in May 2024, the gross production value of fisheries registered a growth of 329.2%, compared to May last year.
In monetary terms, this growth of over 300% translated into a total value of PEN 385.2 million (EUR 93.8 million / USD 101.3 million), representing approximately 0.8% of the national GDP.
"For the second consecutive month, fishing shows a positive result for the Peruvian economy. We are convinced that this year the sector will recover compared to 2023," said Sergio Gonzalez, head of Produce.
In the accumulated period from January to May 2024, the gross production value of Peru's extractive fishing sector recorded a growth of 43.7% compared to the same period of the previous year.
According to Gonzalez, in May, the total landings of hydrobiological resources in Peru amounted to 1,554,000 tons, a figure that represented an increase of more than 1000% (1076.1%) in landings recorded this year compared to those in the same month last year.
The head of Produce pointed out this result is mainly due to the higher production value of resources for indirect human consumption, such as anchovy, whose first season in the north-central zone after this year's reopening has been a success.
"In May, the anchovy fishing season was a huge success, unloading more than 1.45 million tons in the ports of Malabrigo, Chimbote, Coishco, Callao, among others," stated Sergio Gonzalez. However, the good results have not been only in resources for indirect human consumption.
The Peruvian Minister of Production highlighted that May was also a very positive month in landings of fishery resources for direct human consumption. Among the species for the table, there was a greater availability of jack mackerel (689.2%), bonito (75.4%), anchovy for human consumption (599.3%), and mackerel (298.7%).
The outlook is so optimistic that, after consultation with the Peruvian Institute of the Sea (Imarpe), Produce has already made some decisions on quotas for the remainder of the year, such as setting the 2024 anchovy for direct human consumption catch quota, modifying the quota limit for bonito catches, or authorizing the start of the second anchovy and white anchovy fishing season as of July 1.