The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, which helps consumers and businesses select seafood that is cultivated or caught in ways that support a healthy ocean, has awarded a "green" rating to the Peruvian anchovy fishery.

According to Seafood Watch, "anchovy stocks are healthy and not subject to overfishing." The "green" rating signifies that the product is the best sustainability option for North American seafood consumers.

The program also highlighted that the management of Peru’s anchovy fishery is transparent and responsive, with a low environmental impact, among other factors.

This new certification comes as the second anchovy fishing season in northern Peru is underway, with a quota of 2.51 million tons, the third highest in recent decades, thanks to the healthy biomass reported by the Institute of the Sea of Peru (IMARPE).

Buyers praise certification

Peruvian anchovy is a key raw material for aquafeed suppliers. Biomar and Skretting have welcomed the "green" rating and congratulated Peru for its sustainable fishery management.

Katherine Bryar, marketing director at Biomar Global, stated that the certification provides further backing for the sustainable management of Peru's anchovy fishery, as well as the responsible and sustainable practices in global aquaculture.

Meanwhile, Jorge Díaz Salinas, global sustainability director at Skretting, noted that the certification brings certainty and confidence in the environmental management of the fishery.