El Niño is causing issues for the anchovy fishery off South America. According to the fishing company Pesquera Camanchaca, anchovy catches during the first quarter of 2016 are down by 94% compared with last year, and furthermore the fish are of a smaller size.

El Niño is having a negative effect on fisheries in India as well, according to reports from the country's Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). Fish landings in the southern state of Kerala declined by 16% in 2015, with sardine landings plunging 60% as a combined result of El Niño, overexploitation and fishing juveniles.

In the USA, the government has banned practically all sardine fishing on the west coast in an effort to protect the species. Since 2007, the sardine stocks have declined by a disturbing 90%, and now need to be left in peace to recover. It will probably take a few years before any results can be seen.

Norwegian exports of small pelagics increased significantly during the first quarter of 2016. Total exports of whole frozen mackerel went up from 48 700 tonnes during the first three months of 2015 to 69 100 tonnes during the same period in 2016 (+41.9%). Whole frozen herring exports grew by 54.1% during the same period, to 41 600 tonnes.

Nigeria was once again the largest market for Norwegian mackerel, and accounted for 11.6% of total Norwegian mackerel exports. Other important markets were Japan, Ghana and China.
In terms of herring, the largest importers of frozen Norwegian herring were Ukraine (36.3% of total exports), Egypt (26.7% of the total) and Lithuania (12.0% of the total).

Dutch exports of frozen herring increased slightly during the first quarter of 2016, from 34 000 tonnes to 35 000 tonnes (+2.9%). Shipments increased to Egypt (+14.7%) and Nigeria (+54.3%), but declined to China (-23.9%).

China has been well established as a re-processing country for a number of small pelagic species, including mackerel. In the first quarter of 2016, the country's exports of frozen mackerel continued to grow, albeit at a very much slower rate of that in 2015. In the first quarter of 2015, Chinese mackerel exports grew by almost 64%, but in 2016, growth had slowed to just 2.4%. Even so, the total amount of Chinese frozen mackerel exports was impressive at 55 000 tonnes during the quarter. The main markets were the Philippines, Egypt and Viet Nam.