The Ministry of Production (Produce) has ordered the preventive closure of eight fishing areas in the north of Peru, as a way to control anchovy consumption.

Produce, through its General Supervision and Inspection Division, determined the preventive closure of eight protected marine fishing areas, located in oceans in front of the cities of Chiclayo, Trujillo, Coishco, Chimbote, Samanco, Casma, Huarmey and Huacho.

The Ministry reported that between November 11 and 20, 2016, a total of 587 fishing vessels caught a total of 178,969 tons of anchovy.

According the Peru’s Sea Institute (Imarpe) there is a total of 6.86 million tons of anchovy on the north central coast of the country, with 71% distributed between Talara and Chimbote. The assigned catch quota for this anchovy season is of 2 million tons.

In this regard, the head of Produce, Bruno Giuffra, stressed that this quota “is quite healthy, in regard of the capture limits and, above all, it has a proactive vision, its sustainable and responsible. I think it’s an optimal way to handle this resource.”

Produce urged the fishing industry to carry out its activities in a responsible manner and to inform them of the presence of juveniles, as well as mind the closed finishing areas.