It is the result of a collaborative effort between fishermen, companies, governments and experts who want to ensure a sustainable future

The Largest Fishery is Sustainable and Peruvian

PERU
Saturday, December 13, 2025, 00:00 (GMT + 9)

The recent recognition by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC IP) of the improvement program for Peru's artisanal giant squid or pota fishery represents a turning point for the national fishing sector

Admission to the MSC, the world's most recognized sustainable fishing certification, opens the route towards an international seal that guarantees good practices, traceability, and environmental responsibility. Behind this achievement is the Peruvian Chamber of Giant Squid (CAPECAL), which, by coordinating efforts among the industry, artisanal fishing, and the State, groups the 21 main processing and exporting companies of the resource.

Photo: CAPECAL

This leadership has driven fundamental reforms—such as the new Fisheries Management Regulation and the formalization of the artisanal fleet. Furthermore, it promoted more transparent governance, satellite monitoring of vessels, and greater control to combat illegal fishing.

The decision to enter the MSC-IP program is not symbolic. The standard is based on three principles: maintaining healthy resource populations, minimizing the impact of fishing on the ecosystem, and ensuring a robust management method, with clear rules and total traceability. For a fishery like the giant squid—variable and sensitive to environmental factors—this approach is indispensable, as it demands constant scientific monitoring and flexible regulation to guarantee long-term sustainability.

Photo: CAPECAL

The Peruvian pota fishery—which has the largest catch volumes in the world—operates exclusively with artisanal vessels, which use a highly selective fishing gear, based on manual jigging lines. This minimizes bycatch and protects the marine ecosystem, making this fishery an international model of low impact and responsible utilization.

But the relevance of the MSC is not limited to the environmental field. In a global market increasingly conscious of sustainability, certification offers decisive advantages: it provides consumer confidence, guarantees traceability, improves the reputation of the Peruvian fishery, and opens doors to diversification by entering markets that demand strict standards.

Photo: CAPECAL

The benefits reach the entire production chain: thousands of artisanal vessels, dozens of processing plants, and coastal communities whose livelihood depends on this activity. Achieving sustainable management translates into more economic stability and a secure future for fishermen, plant workers, and their families.

However, entering the MSC-IP implies assuming concrete responsibilities. It demands a continuous improvement plan, independent verification, with specific actions and strict compliance with parameters. This requires the active commitment of the State through adequate public policies, sufficient resources for control and surveillance, support for scientific research, and effective mechanisms against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Photo: CAPECAL

The Peruvian State, through its technical and inspection entities, will play a decisive role. It must ensure clear regulation, rigorous supervision, and institutional support so that this improvement process does not remain on paper but translates into measurable and permanent results.

Today, with the entry into the MSC-IP, Peru faces a double opportunity: to demonstrate that it is capable of responsibly managing one of its most important fisheries and to consolidate its presence in global markets as a provider of sustainable and traceable seafood products. But, above all, there is the opportunity to guarantee a dignified future for coastal communities and protect a strategic resource for the country.

This is a historic moment for Peruvian fishing. If workers, industry, and the State sustain this effort, we can look at the sea not only as a source of income but as a sustainable and responsible legacy for the next generations.

Autror/Source: Alfonso Miranda Eyzaguirre/Expreso

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