The Peruvian Ministry of Production has for the first time set a quota for toothfish.
The 120 tonne quota is aimed at small-scale fishermen and has been set based on recommendations from the Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE). The aim is also to gather data on toothfish abundance and biomass, which are believed to be below MSY.
Toothfish catches in Peru last year came to 168 tonnes, all of which was exported to the US as chilled fresh fish. Although there had been no quota set until now, Peruvian authorities judged that the time was right to place limits on the fishery as a preventative measure, also putting in place penalties for breaching the quota regulations in the form of catch forfeiture, fishing licence suspension and fines.
