Knowledge gaps and future research priorities linked to microplastic abundance and occurrence in Peruvian fisheries and seafood products

Microplastic (MP) pollution has been largely documented in aquaculture systems, farmed animals, fishmeal, and feed, as well as in humans due to ingestion from food, including seafood, although a skew remains with fisheries and supply chains more commonly assessed for MP pollution in the Global North. In this sense, the main objective of this short communication is to explore how Peru, the biggest fishmeal, and fish oil (FMFO) producer worldwide, performs in terms of plastic pollution in fisheries and derived seafood products. For this, the available scientific literature has been analyzed. Our analysis suggests that studies in Peru are scarce, and more research must be undergone to evaluate the full extent of plastic pollution in its seafood supply chains. The literature analyzed suggests that pelagic species are more vulnerable to MP exposure and ingestion, and that a gradient in terms of closeness to the coast and depth of the fishery may be determining the level of occurrence and abundance of MPs in Peruvian fisheries. Furthermore, the combination of lack of measures for controlling plastic leakage to the ocean in Peru, with the closeness to the coast of most fishing grounds makes the Peruvian fishing industry highly vulnerable to plastic pollution. In this sense, as the Peruvian FMFO industry overwhelmingly targets anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), a pelagic fish, MP pollution of FMFO products must be monitored, as occurrence could lead to an introduction of MPs in aquaculture products worldwide and subsequent human consumption.