Aquaculture faces ingredients squeeze as Peru delays fishing restart

Ongoing coastal El Niño conditions have prompted Peruvian authorities to extend the current fishing ban in the maritime area stretching from the northern limit of Peru’s maritime domain to 16°00′S, marine ingredients organisation IFFO said today.

The ban had been due to end yesterday. No date has been announced for the termination of the ban.

Peru’s fisheries are the primary source of anchovies, the “gold standard” among fish used for the fishmeal and fish oil used in salmon feed, among other things.

Scientific assessment

IFFO said Peru’s measure may be lifted fully, partially, or gradually by the Vice-Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, subject to scientific assessment by the government’s Institute of the Sea of Peru (IMARPE) and updated biological, fishing, and environmental conditions.

Repeated suspensions reflect ongoing concerns around warm waters and a high share of juvenile fish. This points to a biomass that is still present but dispersed, explained IFFO.

“Peru accounts for a large share of global fishmeal and fish oil supply, implying that disruptions quickly tighten availability,” said IFFO market director, Enrico Bachis.

Weaker outputs in April

Global trends in marine ingredients point to widespread weaker fishmeal output than same period last year, according to IFFO’s assessment of statistics shared by its members in Chile, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Norway, the UK, the US, Peru, South Africa, and Spain, accounting for 40% of global fishmeal production and 50% of fish oil output.

April 2026 fishmeal production fell 21% year on year, and cumulative production was down 26% versus 2025. In this global landscape, the United States was the main exception, while Denmark/Norway and African countries recorded the sharpest monthly declines.

Fish oil output was also lower, with April 2026 production down 19% year on year and cumulative output down 14%. The cumulative picture was more mixed by region than for fishmeal: Spain stood out with cumulative production up 36%, and Chile was close to flat, while Peru, Iceland/North Atlantic and African countries drove the overall decline.