Fishermens' News May 1998: "Sea surface temperatures remained 5 to 8 °C above normal off Peru in March. Year to date fish meal production is substantially below what it was last year at this time. Total catch of anchovy and sardine for meal reduction through March 1998 is 37,000 mt compared with 1,012,000 mt through March 1997. The highest abnormal sea surface temperatures are off Paita and Tumbes on the north coast. Local authorities hope that some fishing will again start in late April but they do not expect normal fishing conditions to develop until November 1998. No anchovy fishing has been allowed since January 16 in Peru. Anchovy schools are present in the area but remain too deep to be caught by purse seines. Anchovies that have been taken appear to be normal sized and mature, ready for spawning. In February and early March, floods ruined equipment in several fish meal plants on the north coast. The recently privatized plants had just refitted with modern fish meal and oil equipment which was not insured and thus the losses will have to be borne by the owners. The Peruvian Red Cross estimates El Nino caused flooding has killed 137 people and made 234,000 people homeless in Peru."--JAJfish <JAJfish@aol.com>.