In 1950, the first fish meal plant in Peru was established, processing the abundant anchoveta catch into meal and oil for export. This marked the beginning of Peru's rise as the world's largest producer of fish meal, an industry that would dominate the global market for decades. The plant's success was driven by the rich waters of the Humboldt Current and the post-war demand for animal feed. The industry's rapid growth led to concerns about overfishing and the need for sustainable management.

The Peruvian fish meal industry has been the subject of contemporary Latin American poetry, with writers like César Vallejo and Mario Vargas Llosa referencing it in their works. The industry also appears in ecocritical poetry, which explores the environmental and social consequences of industrial fishing. The fish meal plants have become a symbol of the tension between economic development and ecological sustainability.