According to AFP, Peru - the world's largest anchovy fishing nation - is being heavily affected as the El Nino phenomenon warms the sea, pulling production down sharply and hundreds of thousands of workers in the seafood industry are facing the risk of losing their jobs.
Anchovies are an important raw material for producing fish meal, mainly used as animal feed and organic fertilizer. According to government figures, in May last year, Peru caught about 1.3 million tons of anchovies. However, in May this year, production was only 32,800 tons.
The El Nino phenomenon is believed to be the main reason for the rising sea temperature, forcing anchovies, which live in cold water, to move deeper into the sea. The Peruvian Institute of Marine Research (IMARPE) also recorded temperatures in some sea areas in this country up to 6 degrees Celsius higher than usual.
President of the Peruvian National Fisheries Society Jessica Luna said that this situation is seriously affecting the fisheries industry. According to a study conducted by the Peruvian National Fisheries Society, the fishing industry and related sectors are expected to contribute only 1.1% to Peru's GDP this year, down from 2.1% in 2025.
At Callao port near the capital Lima, dozens of anchovy fishing boats have to stay ashore. A similar situation is happening in Chimbote, Peru's largest fishing city, about 400km north of Lima. Industrial fishing boats have not set sail since May, months before the Peruvian government officially ended the anchovy fishing season on August 19.
Peru currently has about 8,000 fishermen working in the industrial fishing sector, while the seafood industry in this country usually creates about 250,000 jobs each year. However, jobs in the industry are becoming worrying as the Peruvian National Fisheries Society forecasts that about 122,000 jobs may be lost next year.
The second fishing season usually starts in November, but the possibility of normal fishing activities returning to normal this year is still open. According to Ms. Luna, current forecasts show that El Nino is likely to continue to strongly impact fishing activities at this time.
