Fishmeal and fish oil production in January 2026 declined across the countries analysed by IFFO in its member reports, with the exception of the Denmark/Norway region and the United States. Despite favourable fishing conditions in the Southern Hemisphere, Peru’s output remained below the previous year’s levels in February.
“The anchovy biomass evaluation in the North-Centre remains underway, with official announcements on quotas and starting dates of the new fishing season in 2026 expected during the first half of April”, Enrico Bachis, Market Research Director at IFFO explained.
The data is based on statistics provided by IFFO members in Chile, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Norway, the UK, the US, Peru, South Africa and Spain, representing around 40% of global fishmeal production and 50 percent of fish oil output.
Meanwhile, China’s domestic production of marine ingredients has remained subdued in 2026. Fishmeal imports have declined, while fish oil imports—largely for direct human consumption—have increased significantly year-on-year.
However, China’s aquaculture and aquafeed production up to February 2026 are estimated to have risen compared with the previous year. Demand for aquafeed is being supported by high levels of farmed fish stocks held over winter. Under these conditions, first-quarter 2026 demand for fishmeal, particularly in southern China, is expected to record solid year-on-year growth.
