Peru has increased the allowable catch for the endangered smooth hammerhead shark in 2026. According to the Ministerial Resolution No. 000311-2026-PRODUCE published on September 2, up to 466.8 tons of Sphyrna zygaena may be caught nationwide. Previously, the annual quota was 444 tons.
The change affects exclusively the second half of the year. For the period from March 11 to June 30, 360 tons remain set. From July 1 to December 31, however, the allowed amount rises from 84 to 106.8 tons. This corresponds to 22.8 additional tons and an increase of the partial quota by a little over 27 percent.
Reference value with 50 percent risk of a decrease in biomass
The basis is an assessment by the Peruvian Marine Research Institute IMARPE. The official justification states that an increase to approximately 466.8 tons could be considered. This catch value is associated with a 50 percent risk that the biomass will decrease compared to the previous year.
This means that the new maximum value should not be equated with a guarantee that the stock will remain stable. A probability of 50 percent rather means that the analysis used assesses a decrease in biomass as equally likely as its absence. Which stock data, model assumptions, and uncertainties underlie this risk figure is not explained in more detail in the published resolution.
The Ministry of Production nonetheless describes the decision as precautionary and adaptive management. IMARPE had made its assessment against the backdrop of a coastal El Niño warning. The resolution provides that the catch limit can be adjusted again based on further technical recommendations.
Smooth hammerhead sharks are endangered worldwide
The smooth hammerhead shark is globally endangered according to the Red List. The species grows slowly, reaches sexual maturity late, and gives birth to comparatively few young. Such biological characteristics make hammerhead sharks particularly vulnerable to high fishing mortality.
Off the coast of Peru, smooth hammerhead sharks are targeted and caught as bycatch in artisanal and industrial fisheries. Meat and fins enter the market. Young animals use nearshore habitats and can come into contact particularly easily with gillnets and other fishing gear there.
Fishing season and controls remain in placeThe nationwide fishing season for smooth hammerhead sharks generally runs from March 11 to December 31. From January 1 to March 10, fishing is prohibited. In addition, sharks may not be landed with fins already removed. Landings are only allowed at approved locations and must be documented.
The resolution mandates several fisheries and supervisory authorities as well as regional bodies and the Peruvian coast guard with dissemination and monitoring. Crucial for the effectiveness of the quota is whether landings are fully recorded, species correctly identified, and overruns detected in time.
Additional closed seasons for mussels, algae, and armored catfish
At the same time, the state news agency Agencia Andina reported three more fishing measures. For the red algae Chondracanthus chamissoi, a removal limit of 14.19 tons applies in parts of the Lambayeque region until the end of September. The mussel Aulacomya atra may not be removed or traded along the entire Peruvian coast until the end of November.
In the Río Pampas in the province of Cangallo, a breeding closed season for the Andean catfish Rhamdia quelen was also established. It applies in 2026 until the end of September and is intended to recur annually from June 1 to September 30 from 2027. These bans are meant to protect reproductive phases, while the hammerhead shark decision expands the allowed catch.
Decisive are transparent inventory data
The quota of 466.8 tons is an upper limit, not a catch target. Whether it is compatible with a recovery or at least stabilization of the stock can only be assessed with catch and stock data published in a timely manner. Particularly important are details on the size, sex, and fishing area of the landed animals, as well as on unrecorded discards and illegal catches.
The official mention of the 50-percent risk makes the trade-off unusually clear: Peru allows more catch, even though the underlying scenario by no means rules out a declining biomass. An actually precautionary approach therefore requires close monitoring and a rapid correction as soon as the data indicate a deterioration.
