Having analysed recommendations from the Peruvian Sea Institute (Imarpe), Peru’s Ministry of Production (Produce) has announced it will not allow the first anchovy season in the north-central zone (LMTCP North-Centre) to take place after all, reversing its earlier decision to set a quota of 1.091 million tonnes for anchovy (Engraulis ringens) and white anchovy (Anchoa nasus).
Produce chief Raúl Pérez Reyes explained that following the exploratory fishing carried out between 3 and 7 June 2023, Imarpe concluded there were no biological conditions for the development of extractive activities.
“The sea conditions are not given for the start of the fishing season. An important issue for the ministry is the preservation of the fishing resource, if we left at this time and allowed the anchovy fishing activity to develop, what we would do is depredate the resource,” he said.
Imarpe’s analysis found that the sizes observed in the landings of the first three days of exploratory fishing presented a range between 7 and 15cm TL, with a main mode of 10cm and a secondary mode of 11cm TL. Similarly, the incidence of juveniles reached 86.3% in number of individuals and 77% in units of weight.
Minister Pérez Reyes said it is expected that in a period of two to three weeks Produce will evaluate an oceanographic investigation into the anchovy resource situation.
“We are going to see the evolution of the Kelvin waves, and based on this and the Pacific cyclone, in addition to the winds, we are going to evaluate an oceanographic research departure to see how the resource is,” he said.
He also said Produce would stay in dialogue with the industrial fishing sector to evaluate measures that will allow it to cope with the impact on employment and income due to the non-start of the fishing season.
“We are facing a situation that is the consequence of a problem associated with nature, it is not something caused by a problem of political or public decision. For this reason, we have to see how we resolve it together with the industry, both large and medium-sized, which is the one that operates in the fishing sector. There will be no affectation in the artisanal sector, nor on the tables of the homes, likewise resources such as horse mackerel, mackerel and bonito will not feel the impact either,” Pérez Reyes said.
Last year’s first season quota totalled 2.79 million tonnes.
