The Ministry of Production (Produce) determined that the 
industrial fishing fleet will be able to fish 120,000 
tonnes of horse mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) this year, 
that is to say, until the 2012 quota is completed.

According to two previous ministerial resolutions -- No. 
034-2012 and No. 133-2012 -- Produce had set two fishing 
quotas for the pelagic resource:

First quarter: 40,000 tonnes; 
Second quarter: 30,000 tonnes. 
Under the new regulations, once the catch limit set is 
fulfilled, Produce will ban fishing for horse mackerel.

Meanwhile, Instituto del Mar del Peru (Imarpe) indicated 
that the monitoring of fishing areas in which horse 
mackerel is being caught shows a shifting of the shoals to 
the west due to the dynamic environmental conditions.

Consequently, scientists at the Institute felt that the 
above situation could complicate the capture of the entire 
annual quota. Therefore, they recommended that the 
industrial fleet should be authorized to catch horse 
mackerel until the limit of tonnes of the total quota for 
the allowable catch for this year is reached.

Besides, they advised strict control and surveillance 
measures should be implemented in relation to landings, 
discards and juvenile horse mackerel capture.

The report 'Development of the fishery for horse mackerel 
and mackerel resources on the Peruvian coast up to 2 
April, 2012' from Imarpe points out that between 24 March 
and 2 April, 2012 the industrial fleet caught about 12,000 
tonnes of horse mackerel, that is to say, 39.5 per cent of 
the fishing quota approved for the second quarter.

The relative abundance index (tonne per fishing trip) of 
horse mackerel showed a growth of 80 per cent in its March 
values (404 tonnes per fishing trip) and in the first days 
of April (350 tonnes per fishing trip) compared to the 
first months of the year, which is associated with a 
greater seasonal availability of horse mackerel.

Finally, Produce also set a catch limit for mackerel 
(Scomber japonicus) of 20,000 tonnes for the second 
quarter of 2012.