Industrial anchovy fishing in Peru, the world's largest producer of the resource, has suffered a severe blow as ocean warming driven by El Niño forced fish into deep waters and caused catches to collapse.
Data from Peru's Ministry of Production showed that fishermen caught just 32,800 tonnes of anchoveta in May 2026, compared with 1.3 million tonnes during the same month in 2025.
Accustomed to cold water, the anchoveta migrated into deeper ocean waters to escape the warm conditions, according to the marine research agency Instituto del Mar del Perú. The oceanographic institute identified sea temperatures up to 6 degrees Celsius above normal in some marine areas.
Jessica Luna, president of the Sociedad Nacional de Pesquería representing industrial vessel owners, alerted Agence France-Presse that the situation represented a severe blow for the sector.
Economic impact and job losses
The sharp decline in catches is set to affect the economy of Peru, a South American nation that relies heavily on its Pacific fisheries. A study by consultancy firm Apoyo, commissioned by the fisheries association, indicated that fishing and its derived industries contributed 2.1 percent of Peru's gross domestic product in 2025. This year, the sector will represent only 1.1 percent of GDP.
Anchoveta is by far Peru's primary fishing resource. It serves as the raw material for fishmeal, a high-protein product used in feed for farm animals and in organic fertilizers.
While Peru has about 8,000 registered industrial fishermen, the commercial fishing industry supports thousands of additional jobs on land. Citing industry statistics, Luna said 250,000 jobs are usually generated by the sector, but 122,000 will be lost between this year and next year.
Idled fleets and port towns
The crisis is evident in major port cities along the coast. Dozens of industrial anchovy vessels floated anchored and inactive over the grey sea of Callao, the principal seaport near the capital city of Lima, as observed on Monday by Agence France-Presse. A similar scene of motionless boats has taken hold in Chimbote, Peru's main fishing city located about 400 kilometres north of Lima.
Although the government officially declared the anchoveta fishing season over on August 19, industrial vessels had not ventured out to sea since May due to a lack of fish, according to consulted trade unions. Santiago Bocanegra, a Chimbote fisherman who heads the José Olaya union, said some unemployed members of his union have been forced to work in public transport, masonry, or in mines.
Uncertain outlook for coming season
Under normal conditions, a second fishing season would start in November, but its occurrence is now uncertain. Luna added that weather projections indicate El Niño will start with strength and fury in that month.
El Niño raises Pacific Ocean temperatures, favoring anomalous rainfall in some regions and droughts in others. According to climate estimates, the current phenomenon could become the most intense since records began.
