Anchovy purse seiner. (Photo: Produce)
PERUWednesday, March 11, 2015, 03:10 (GMT + 9)
Anchovy catches, the main raw material used to manufacture fishmeal, of which Peru is the world leader, could increase by at least 30 per cent this year, according to the Peruvian government’s estimates.
Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Juan Requejo said that this resource seems to have recovered after a moderate El Niño weather phenomenon, which warms the Pacific.
"Water warming and anchovy capture condition is already a thing of the past, at least at present," Requejo said in an interview with Reuters.
Given this situation, the deputy minister estimates that this year anchovy catches could increase by at least 30 per cent compared to 2013, based on a "very conservative" projection.
Anchovy catches fell to 2.2 million tonnes last year, about a third of the volume in a typical year.
After the fleet captured only 68 per cent of its quota in the first fishing season of 2014, the government decided to open a second season or to protect juvenile specimen biomass.
Now, the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) announced that the first season of anchovy catches in the south will begin next 26 March, subject to the outcome of exploratory fishing activity that Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE) will hold between 12 and 16 March in the area.
IMARPE believes that the season could be extended until June 30 given the increase in biomass (in size and weight) that the anchovy has been experiencing since the latest assessment. The deputy minister clarified that the exploratory fishing activity reveals the existence of too many juvenile specimen, the beginning of the fishing season could be delayed for a couple of weeks.
"If the conditions continue, we are talking about a figure exceeding 2 million tonnes and 2.5 million tonnes (of fishing quota for the centre and north of the country)," the deputy minister told Reuters.
"It will be possible to capture quite a lot," he stated.