At least one person killed and eight missing after two fishing boats shipwrecked off the Peruvian coast.

At least one person was killed and eight were missing Monday after two fishing boats were shipwrecked off the Peruvian coast, the office of the port of Callao harbor master said.

"The two vessels collided at dawn," navy captain Alfredo Lozada with the harbor master's office told reporters.

The ships were shipwrecked off the Islas Palomino, tiny rocky islands populated only by sea lions and other wildlife located west of Callao, Peru's main port.

Navy divers had reached the site, but heavy fog limited visibility and kept any aircraft that could help in the search and rescue operation grounded.

The islands are just west of the better known island of San Lorenzo and the prison island of El Fronton.