November 5, 2004

Peru Produced 1,400 Tons Fishmeal in September

Peru produced 1,400 metric tons of fishmeal in September, a slight increase from 1,200 produced in the same month a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Production.

The anchovy haul, used to make fishmeal, reached 6,300 tons in September, up from 4,900 tons in September 2003.

The government placed a seasonal ban on anchovy fishing in mid-July in order to protect stocks during the spawning season. The ban was still in place during September, although it was lifted on Oct. 25.

Peru produced 1.33 million tons of fishmeal to the end of September, compared with the first nine months of last year when it produced 794,700 tons.

In the first nine months, the anchovy haul rose to 5.94 million tons, compared with 3.43 million tons in the same period last year.

Peru is the world's largest producer and exporter of fishmeal, used chiefly as an animal feed.

Exports of fishmeal in September reached 184,300 tons, compared with 63,100 tons in the same month last year, the ministry said, adding that the information on exports was preliminary.

In the first nine months of the year, total fish product exports were worth $1.1 billion, a 29% rise compared with the same period a year before.