A perfect storm: how the super El Niño is devastating the fishing industry
Peru has suspended its anchoveta fishing season due to a severe El Niño event causing warming seas and ecological disruption. This closure is expected to significantly impact the global fishmeal supply chain and the Peruvian economy, leading to thousands of job losses.
Why it matters
As the world's largest commercial fishery, the collapse of the Peruvian anchoveta industry threatens global food security for aquaculture and livestock sectors.
Anchoveta being sucked into the hold of a fishing boat off the coast of Lima, 19 November 2023./Getty Images Peru’s anchoveta have made up about a 10th of the entire global commercial fishing catch since 1970, more than any other fish. A combination of warming seas and decades-long overfishing spells disaster
Prefer the Guardian on Google O n 10 June 2026, the government of Peru made a decision that it knew would hurt one of the world’s major fishing industries. It stopped all anchoveta fishing boats from going out to sea, suspending the fishing season. At first the order was temporary, but in mid-August, the suspension turned into a total closure . This was no easy call. For one thing, it was a brutal blow to the Peruvian economy.
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