On May 29, Peru’s Ministry of Production (Produce) ordered a new temporary, 15-day suspension of all anchovy fishing activities. Running from May 27 through June 10, 2026, the closure was implemented to protect juvenile anchovy stocks threatened by warming ocean temperatures driven by El Niño.

Peru is the world’s largest producer and exporter of fishmeal and fish oil – core nutritional components in high-quality aquaculture feeds used across the U.S. trout industry. When Peruvian anchovy fisheries face closures or reduced quotas, it tightly squeezes global marine ingredient supplies, often creating upward pressure on commercial trout feed costs.

Key Details from the Suspension:

• The Cause: The Peruvian Sea Institute (IMARPE) reported intensifying warm ocean conditions along the coast. This warming alters anchovy distribution and makes juvenile fish highly vulnerable to being caught.
• The Goal: The 15-day pause is an adaptive management strategy designed to reduce fishing pressure, allow schools to naturally redistribute, and protect future biological stock recruitment.
• Current Progress: Prior to this suspension, the Peruvian fleet had completed 28 days of fishing, landing approximately 450,000 metric tons. This represents just 23.6% of the total authorized quota for the current season.