The Ministry of Production (Produce) declared a state of emergency for the Fishing and Aquaculture subsectors for a period of 120 calendar days, a decision that will allow the State to deploy exceptional, immediate, and temporary measures to address the effects generated by the Coastal El Niño Phenomenon on fishing, aquaculture activities, and the entire production chain.
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The declaration constitutes a timely and immediate response to a climatic scenario that is modifying the availability and distribution of hydrobiological resources and directly affecting the capacity of thousands of fishermen and producers to carry out their activities and generate income for their families.
ENFEN maintains the Coastal El Niño Alert and foresees the continuation of the event during the 2026-2027 period, with a magnitude that could range from strong to extraordinary.
“This state of emergency declaration is the result of the technical and coordinated work of the teams at the Ministry of Production to respond to a situation affecting thousands of Peruvians who depend on fishing and aquaculture. It is not just a regulatory decision, but a tool to act quickly, protect employment, income, and the continuity of productive activities,” said the Minister of Production, Juan Carlos Requejo.
What benefits will it generate for fishermen and the production chain?
The plan includes six lines of action aimed at responding to the effects of the Coastal El Niño Phenomenon, protecting the continuity of productive activities, and contributing to the economic recovery of fishermen, aquaculturists, and other actors linked to the chain.
1. More scientific research to make better decisions. Scientific research will be strengthened to timely understand how the conditions of the El Niño Phenomenon are modifying the distribution, availability, and abundance of hydrobiological resources. This information will allow decisions based on scientific evidence regarding the use and management of resources, helping fishermen understand the new conditions presented by the sea.
2. Sustainable use of opportunity resources. Changes in oceanographic conditions may cause some species to decrease in availability, but also others to increase their presence in Peruvian waters. Therefore, temporary measures may be established to allow fishermen to sustainably exploit these opportunity resources. These actions may include exploratory fishing, prospecting, and the adjustment of measures related to fishing seasons, catch limits, or other necessary provisions to respond to the new conditions.
3. Facilities to keep the processing chain operational. The emergency will allow the implementation of administrative and sanitary facilities that contribute to the continuity of processing activities. This will enable plants to temporarily adapt to changes in species availability and, when conditions allow, process other resources whose presence increases as a result of changes caused by the El Niño Phenomenon.
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4. Facilities for paying fines. Another line of action includes implementing facilities for the payment of fishing, aquaculture, and sanitary administrative fines. The goal is to reduce economic pressure on affected agents and facilitate compliance with their obligations, preventing economic difficulties caused by the emergency from affecting the continuity of their activities. These measures do not mean the elimination of fines but the implementation of mechanisms to facilitate their payment.
5. Promotion of hydrobiological product marketing. The Emergency Plan will also include actions to promote marketing and stimulate the market for hydrobiological products. The aim is to generate more opportunities to place on the market those resources whose availability may increase during the El Niño Phenomenon, helping to keep active the chain involving fishermen, traders, processors, and other sector actors.
6. Facilities to access financing. Finally, one of the lines of action will focus on facilitating access to financing for agents linked to fishing and aquaculture who are affected. This measure will seek to strengthen their economic capacity to sustain or recover their activities in the face of difficulties generated by the Coastal El Niño Phenomenon.
Together, these six lines of action will ensure that the state of emergency declaration translates into concrete, timely, and coordinated measures to respond more quickly and flexibly to changes generated by the Coastal El Niño Phenomenon, protecting the continuity of fishing and aquaculture activities and the well-being of thousands of families linked to the sector.
For this, the Ministry of Production and its attached entities will have a framework of action to prioritize and execute the necessary measures. The Emergency Plan will be approved by Produce within 15 business days and will establish specific actions for its implementation.
“Behind every vessel that stops going out, every reduced catch, or every resource that changes its distribution, there are families whose income is affected. That is why we have worked to build a comprehensive response that not only addresses the emergency but also helps our fishermen adapt, find new opportunities, and keep their activities running,” said the head of Produce.
