Peru's fishing industry is very important to its economy. Leading the world in fish meal production, more than sixty percent of its catch is anchovies. Other marine species found in Peru's coastal waters include sardines, horse mackerel, chub mackerel, and hake, and help sustain the industry. Peru's fisheries are vulnerable to natural variabilities in stocks, and water cycles including the timing of coastal upwellings and El Niño events.

Overfishing is prevalent; huge quantities of small schooling fish (anchovies, sardines and mackerel) are being caught to make the fish meal that feeds farmed fish globally. The serious decline in hake stocks forced governments to impose a ban and recovery program, although it's mainly designed to redirect the fleet to other fisheries. Hake, however, has begun its recovery.

Both inland and marine aquaculture are practiced in Peru. The dominant species are rainbow trout, Peruvian scallop, crayfish, and tilapia. Some other species are also cultured in minute amounts, and include algae, boquichico, giant Malaysian prawn, gamitana, oysters, red pacu, silverside, carp, and turbot.

Related Link

• FAO.org