After four years of collaboration between artisanal fishers, processors, the government and NGOs, the Peruvian Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) has announced new rules governing the fishing of jumbo flying squid.
The Supreme Decree No. 003-2025-PRODUCE is being hailed as a critical step in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the fishery, which has been exploited since 2021, according to Peru’s Institute of Marine Science.
“Replacing an outdated regulation that had been in force for over a decade is a significant achievement for Peru,” said Pedro Ferreiro Velasco, Fisheries Governance and Livelihoods director at Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, which advised fishing organisations during the negotiations.
“Jumbo flying squid fishing is the livelihood of thousands of Peruvian artisanal fishers, who have demonstrated that policy change is possible when actors with diverse interests come together to build and approve a proposal that benefits the entire JFS food system.”
Peru, China and Chile dominate catches, with primary harvests coming from artisanal fishers in the South Pacific, alongside a growing distant-water fleet operating in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction.
A key component of the regulation, also known as ROP, is the protection of artisanal fishing rights, exclusively granting them access to the squid fishery and banning industrial expansion.
The decree also designates the environmentally friendly jigging line as the sole authorised fishing method, while introducing stricter oversight measures, such as mandatory satellite tracking and the implementation of a tracing system.
