If traditional seafood exports from Peru had maintained the same level of 2012 last year, Peru trade deficit recorded in 2013 could have been avoided. This was stated by the National Fisheries Society (SNP), which also noted that this was the first trade deficit in 11 years, amounting to USD 365 million.
In 2012, Peru achieved the highest level of fisheries exports reaching USD 3,310 million. Of this amount, USD 2,310 million was provided by traditional exports (fishmeal and fish oil).
However, last year the traditional exports of the fisheries sector declined by about USD 600 million to USD 1,700 million, due to the very small fishing quota for the second season of 2012 and the limitations for anchovy fishing in the south of the country.
Meanwhile, non-traditional fishing exports reached a value of USD 1,060 million in 2013, slightly up from 2012, which was USD 1,011 million.
In the period 2007-2013, non-traditional exports of the Peruvian fisheries sector recorded an average growth of 13 per cent, driven by major investments in canneries and frozen seafood.
In the same period, the volume of all fish exports grew at an average annual rate of 6 per cent.
Fishing ranks third in terms of participation on traditional exports and in fifth place among non-traditional exports.
The fishing industry in Peru generates 221,000 jobs, of which 121,000 are direct and 100,000 indirect jobs.