Peruvian fishermen landing jumbo flying squid.
Photo: Produce.
Peru's Ministry of Production (Produce) reported that, between January and July 2025, artisanal fishing landings—mainly dedicated to species for human consumption—increased by more than 50% in the country.
"In the first seven months of 2025, artisanal fishing landings totalled 776,000 MT, representing an increase of +50.4% compared to the same period in 2024 (516,000 MT)," said Peruvian Minister of Production Sergio González.
Jack mackerel, mackerel, mullet, hake, anchovy for direct human consumption, and seaweed were the species that contributed most to this growth, but above all, it was jumbo flying squid, even when, seeking to guarantee its sustainability, its fishing had to be suspended on June 30, two months before its official expiration date scheduled for August 31, so there were no landings in July.
As Produce then explained, 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.
Thus, between January and July 2025, jumbo flying squid fishing up by 155.6%. This was the largest increase, followed by anchovy for direct human consumption, whose landings grew by 102.3% during the period and may continue to increase until reaching the maximum catch limit, which has been set at 150,000 tons for 2025.
Mullet, with an increase of 34.4%; seaweed, up 26.6%; jack mackerel, which grew by 22.3%; shark, up 19.3%; mackerel, which increased by 6.4%; and hake, up 6.2%, completed the good results.
As in the case of jumbo flying squid, favorable oceanographic conditions also contributed to the increased supply of other species caught by artisanal fisheries, which were landed mainly in the regions of Piura, Ica, Ancash, Arequipa, La Libertad, Moquegua, Lima, and Callao.
Along with these positive landing figures, between January and July 2025, industrial production of hydrobiological resources from artisanal fishing showed a 132.4% year-on-year increase, according to data from the General Office of Impact Assessment and Economic Studies under Produce.
As explained by the Peruvian Ministry of Production, this increase is mainly due to the rise in the production of frozen products made from jumbo flying squid, jack mackerel, and mackerel; cured anchovy and seaweed products; and canned jack mackerel and mackerel products. The seafood plants processing these species from artisanal fishing in Peru are located in Piura, Ancash, Lima, Ica, and Callao, and there are a total of 154.
Finally, Produce also highlighted that, as a result of these landings and processing, between January and July 2025, the value of Peruvian fishing exports from artisanal fishing increased by 142.1% compared to the same period in 2024, registering a total of USD 975.6 million free on board (FOB).
Once again, the result is mainly explained by higher exports of jumbo flying squid, which grew by 221.4%, but also by seaweed, which increased by 31.7%. However, the result was mitigated by lower exports of bonito, which fell by 45%, and perico (mahi-mahi), which fell by 55.2%.
China, South Korea, Spain, and the United States were the main destination countries for these Peruvian exports in the first seven months of the year.
