theSIGNAL ENVIRONMENT
16 October 2026
"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."
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Environment

Peru Shuts Down the World's Biggest Fishery

Peru has closed its anchoveta fishery, a tenth of the global catch, accepting thousands of job losses to protect the fish.

On 10 June 2026, Peru's government ordered every anchoveta boat to stay in port. It was meant to be a temporary suspension of the fishing season, but by mid-August it had become a total closure. Officials knew exactly what they were doing: they were switching off the engine of one of the world's largest fishing industries. The scale explains why the decision was so painful.

Since 1970, Peruvian anchoveta have made up roughly a tenth of all fish caught commercially on Earth by weight, more than any other species. In good years the catch is worth close to $3bn and directly employs almost 50,000 people, or close to a quarter of a million when indirect jobs are counted. Peru's central bank now forecasts a 30.7% contraction in the fishing sector, about 78,000 lost jobs in 2026 and another 44,000 in 2027.

The consequences will not stay on the Pacific coast. Although it shares a name with the salty fillets in a caesar dressing, this fish belongs to a different species, Engraulis ringens, and more than 90% of it is turned into fishmeal and fish oil. Those products are shipped to fish, shellfish and seaweed farms, to factory farms and to supplement makers worldwide. Peru is by far the leading fishmeal exporter, so prices are already climbing, and the effects are expected to reach food supplies and supermarket prices in many countries.

The then production minister, César Quispe Luján, argued that restraint was the only responsible course.

Photo: Eddie Mark Blair / Unsplash
Idle fishing boats sit in a Peruvian harbour as the anchoveta fishery remains closed.
Discuss
  • Peru accepted tens of thousands of job losses to protect a fish stock. Was that the right trade-off?
  • Over 90% of anchoveta becomes fishmeal for farms. Should wild fish be used to feed farmed animals?
  • Fishmeal prices are rising worldwide after the closure. Who should bear the cost of conservation: producers, consumers or governments?
Science

A 1.5cm Hole Reopens Neanderthal Violence Debate

A round hole, just 1.5cm wide, in a shoulder blade from Iraqi Kurdistan may record the oldest known killing of a human ancestor by a wooden spear. The Neanderthal, aged about 45, died over 70,000 years ago in Shanidar cave. Three fractures radiate from the wound, and the pattern suggests a strike from the front. Dr Emma Pomeroy argues the thrust was aimed at the heart.…
  • If a spear killed him, can bones ever reveal intent?
Environment

Delaware's Sharks Are Vanishing Into Desert Aquariums

Shortly after 12:45pm, a line goes taut in Delaware Bay. A sand tiger shark is hauled aboard, measured, tagged and released. Others are not so lucky. Collection for aquariums rose from two sharks in 2018 to 40 in 2023, and 80 were taken by 2024. Most went to China and the United Arab Emirates, where tanks now hold animals that will never return home.…
  • Should aquariums be allowed to collect wild animals from critically endangered species?
"
When there is a need to strengthen conservation measures, it is necessary to act with prudence and responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the fishery.
César Quispe Luján, Peru's then minister of production
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theSIGNAL IN THE LAB
1VOCABULARY
anchovetafishmeal
contractionunderpinscritically endangered
radiatewound
2GRAMMAR FOCUS
Causative have/get — have something done
Use have/get + object + past participle to say that someone arranges for another person to do something, or that something unwanted happens to you. 'Get' is more informal than 'have', and the object always comes before the past participle.
had · have · get · having · got · getting · to have
  1. After the June order, many Peruvian skippers their engines switched off and their boats tied up in port.
  2. Fishmeal exporters in Lima may soon their shipping schedules rearranged because of the closure.
  3. Peru's central bank its economic forecasts revised after the fishing season was cancelled.
  4. Fish farms from Norway to Vietnam will probably their feed costs raised by climbing fishmeal prices.
  5. Researchers on the boat each sand tiger shark measured and tagged before releasing it back into Delaware Bay.
  6. Conservationists are urging the state to stop aquariums from endangered sharks collected for export to the UAE.
3DEPENDENT PREPOSITIONS
Complete each phrase with the correct preposition. All from today’s articles.
  1. Peruvian anchoveta make ___ roughly a tenth of all fish caught commercially on Earth.
  2. The central bank forecasts a 30.7% contraction ___ the fishing sector.
  3. The ministers argued that restraint was the only responsible course ___ action.
  4. Collection for aquariums rose ___ two sharks in 2018 to 40 in 2023.
  5. Most of the sharks went ___ China and the United Arab Emirates.
4CRITICAL THINKING
All three stories involve evidence that is partial or contested: an economic forecast, a count of captured sharks, a hole in a 70,000-year-old bone. Which of these is the most reliable basis for drawing conclusions, and which is the least? What extra information would you want before accepting each story's central claim?
5CREATIVE · HEADLINES
Write a headline for the top story in each of the following styles. One line each, no explanation:
  • TABLOID NEWSPAPER
  • LUXURY MAGAZINE
  • ACTIVIST BLOG
6WRITING
Imagine you are a 45-year-old Neanderthal, a Delaware sand tiger shark or an anchoveta boat captain waiting in port. Write a short diary entry (80-100 words) describing your day and your fears about what comes next.
7DEGREES OF EXTREMITY
Complete each ladder from mild to strong.
  • a slowdown→→
  • a drop→→
  • reluctant→→
  • rise slightly→→
  • affect→→
  • disappear→→
8SPEAKING
  1. Can scientists ever be certain enough to justify economic sacrifice?
  2. Which should matter more to governments: long-term nature or short-term livelihoods?
  3. Why do ancient violence stories fascinate us so much today?
  4. Should wealthy countries pay poorer ones to protect shared species?