Peru's aquaculture harvest sees modest increase in early 2025

Peru's Ministry of Production (Produce) has reported that aquaculture harvests between January and February 2025 reached 16,314 metric tons, representing a 2.1% increase compared to the same period last year.

According to the Ministry, this growth is the result of increased scallop (+52.5%) and shrimp (+8.2%) production, supported by favorable weather conditions.

PRODUCE also confirmed that 61.5% of aquaculture exports consisted of frozen shrimp products, followed by scallops (22.7%), trout (15.3%), and tilapia (0.5%).

The main export destinations were the United States, which accounted for US$16.5 million FOB (28%) in revenue, followed by South Korea, Spain, Japan, and Canada.

Gradual increase since 2024

Peru's national aquaculture harvest reached a volume of 108,144 metric tons, representing a 2.9% increase compared to 2023, primarily due to the rise in scallop production.

Additionally, the General Office of Impact Evaluation and Economic Studies at PRODUCE reported that production was concentrated in the Piura region, driven by scallop farming, followed by Puno, where trout farming was the main activity.

Last week, Produce updated the Sectoral Regulation on Food Safety for Fisheries and Aquaculture Activities to provide greater legal security to operators and marketers. By reducing obligations and costs, sector competitiveness will be optimized, and processes for those regulated will be streamlined without compromising public health protection.