The purchasing manager of EWOS Chile, Cristian Vera, believes that the prospects for the second anchovy season in Peru are not so promising, whilst the price of marine ingredients for fish feed is likely to remain stable or increase.

Vera told FIS.com that while the new quota looks great, it is just 50 per cent compared to a normal year and that of the 6.4 million tonne anchovy biomass estimated by Imarpe, over 60 per cent would be juvenile fish.

\"Much of the biomass is within the 5-mile exclusive zone for artisanal fishing which makes it harder to capture for the industrial fleet. Also, the arrival of a new series of high intensity kelvin waves is expected in early December. This could lead the fish to go deeper, further complicating the fishing options,\" he said.

\"So far, fishmeal prices have remained in the range of US$ 1,950-2,000 per tonne for high quality products (prime/super prime). In fish oil, the situation is more complex, because in the years of El Niño fish have historically contained a lower oil content. In addition, depending on that performance and profile of EPA/DHA, the price may fluctuate significantly,\" he added.

In the short term, Vera believes that industry will see stable prices for fish meal and a rise in fish oil, but warned that depending on the conditions, the scenario may vary significantly.

Source: Christian Pérez. FIS.com. Read the full story here.