The week of Easter sees a surge in fish consumption in Peru, and this year Peruvians bought 8500 tonnes of seafood. That’s a 5% increase on the figure for the previous year.
Close to half of the total (almost 4200 tonnes) went to the metropolitan Lima area, sourced from the fishing ports of Pucusana, Paita, Pisco, Callao, Huacho and Chimbote.
Consumption of bonito was 34.50% up on the week before Easter, while mackerel sales increased 32% and horse mackerel by 87.6% over the usual level.
Consumption across regional markets jumped by 9% during this year’s Holy Week to 4241 tonnes, with the demand primarily for bonito, mackerel, horse mackerel, squid and mullet.
The Ministry of Production also placed more than 200 tonnes of fresh seafood at fairs around the country, ensuring that both fresh and canned seafood were available at affordable prices. More than 80,000 vulnerable families across a number of regions benefitted from this initiative.
