Peru fishing and aquaculture response to El Niño

The Peruvian government and professional organizations are responding to the impacts of the ‘Niño Costero’ phenomenon and rising sea temperatures on the nation’s fishing industry.

Initially, the Ministry of Production warned of oceanographic anomalies affecting both industrial anchoveta and artisanal fishing sectors. To mitigate these effects, the ministry prepared an emergency declaration to facilitate support mechanisms, such as differentiated debt treatment, and issued 19 fishing management measures.

To protect approximately 15,000 artisanal fishers in the Lima and Callao regions—representing about 15.5% of Peru’s artisanal maritime fishers—the College of Engineers of Peru (CIP Lima) has proposed technological adaptations and the promotion of mariculture, including the farming of fish, bivalves, and macroalgae. Additionally, specialized training in sensory evaluation techniques was implemented in Paita to help professionals monitor changes in the quality of hydrobiological resources.

Further protective measures have been introduced for the aquaculture sector. Through Sanipes, the Ministry of Production issued guidelines to safeguard trout, tilapia, shrimp, and scallop crops, emphasizing water quality monitoring, feeding density control, and oxygen management.

In the Peruvian Amazon, the Amazonian Research Institute of Peru (IIAP) has warned that receding river levels and rising temperatures threaten fish reproduction and feeding. To mitigate mortality risks in pond farming caused by evaporation and low oxygen, experts recommend reducing feed by 20% to 30% during drought periods and conducting fish sampling during cooler morning hours.