Report Corresponding to Official Document No. 1398-2025-IMARPE/PE created between August 1 and 16, 2025

Scientific Operation Confirms the Healthy State of Giant Squid in Peru

PERU
Wednesday, September 03, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

An IMARPE report reveals that pota populations show larger-than-expected sizes and weights, with an increase in the permitted catch for 2025.

CALLAO—The Peruvian Sea Institute (IMARPE) has published the Executive Report 'Giant Squid Operation III', a key document that offers a detailed view of the health of the giant squid or pota (Dosidicus gigas) in Peruvian waters. The operation, conducted between August 1 and 16, 2025, had as its main objective to evaluate the biological and population status of this species in the post-El Niño 2023-2024 context.

Planned sampling design for Operation Giant Squid III

The pota has been the country's second most important fishery since 2004, developed mainly by the artisanal fleet. The Giant Squid Operation III (OCG-III) was executed by 14 authorized artisanal vessels monitored by the SISESAT system, and was carried out along 17 of the 25 planned transects in the northern, central, and southern zones of the Peruvian coast.

Total number of transects, stations, observers, vessels, and actual fishing days conducted during Operation Giant Squid III.

Key Findings and Sustainability Projections

The report highlights that the largest catches were concentrated in the north, at a distance of 75 to 100 nautical miles from the coast, with values that exceeded 9 tons. In contrast, in the central and southern zones, the distribution was more scattered and the catches were of a smaller magnitude.

A significant finding is that the average weight of the pota specimens was greater than 6 kg, a figure higher than the initial projection for 2025 of 5.02 kg. This improvement, along with the catch per unit of effort (CPUE) and the diversity of cohorts, indicates a healthy population status.

Execution of Operation Giant Squid III

In response to these favorable results, and under a precautionary approach to ensure the sustainability of the resource, IMARPE has recommended a Maximum Total Allowable Catch Limit (LMCTP) of 421,684 tons for 2025. The report notes that, due to the progressive increase in landings in the first half of the year, the LMCTP was modified from 190 thousand to 290 thousand tons, before being adjusted to 304,209 tons for the period between January 1 and August 31. These adjustments reflect the good state of the resource and allow for more precise and sustainable use.

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