Report prepared by Shaun Hazell and Rick Hansford, students in BCIT’s Fish, Wildlife and Recreation program.

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.