Peruvian Squid Fishing Is Urgently Stopped, Quotas Are Cleared, And Market Prices May Fluctuate

On June 20, 2025, the Peruvian government officially announced that from midnight on that day, the fishing of Peruvian squid (Dosidicus gigas) resources across the country will be completely terminated.

According to the latest director's resolution issued by the Peruvian Ministry of Production, the maximum allowable total catch of Peruvian squid in 2025 has reached the legal limit of 304,209 tons a few days ago, triggering the termination mechanism. This limit was originally planned to be implemented in stages before August 31, 2025, and it will automatically end on that day if it is not caught in advance. However, due to the recent significant increase in fishing speed, the competent authorities submitted a report on June 20, recommending that fishing be terminated immediately to maintain the sustainability of fishery resources.

The fishing termination order officially takes effect

According to the content of the "Report No. 00000035-2025-PRODUCE/DSF-PA-eramirez" issued by the Supervision and Inspection Department of the Ministry of Production of Peru, the current squid fishing has fully reached the quota, so emergency resource protection measures must be taken. In accordance with the "Ministerial Resolution No. 00193-2025-PRODUCE", the Ministry of Production decided:

From 00:00 on June 21, 2025, the fishing activities of Peruvian squid resources will be completely stopped.

Unloading channel is still temporarily open

It should be noted that although all fishing operations have been stopped, vessels that have obtained sailing permits and are operating at sea before the termination takes effect can still complete the unloading process in accordance with the law. This means that the market will still see some stock of squid arriving at the port in the short term, but the overall supply chain has been urgently pressed the "pause button".

Background review: Quotas peak after several increases

The original annual quota for squid in Peru was 190,000 tons, which was subsequently raised to 290,000 tons in May and again to 304,209 tons on June 2. This is a phased adjustment made by the Peruvian government based on the recovery trend of squid resources, market export demand and feedback from fishermen.

However, after the peak fishing season arrived, fleets in various places concentrated operations and unloading surged, resulting in the quota being quickly "cleared", and the regulator finally decided to end it urgently.

Market impact is under continuous observation

Peru is one of the most important exporters of giant squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the world. The early termination of this fishing is expected to have a direct impact on the global squid market, especially the supply and demand dynamics of major importing countries such as China, South Korea, and Spain. The subsequent market conditions, raw material inventory and price changes deserve great attention from the entire industry chain.