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A chart comparing the Illex squid landings of this year's season with that of 2008. (Photo: SAGP&A/FIS)
Squid season tally worst ever
ARGENTINA
Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 23:20 (GMT + 9)
The national squid jigger fleet is set to terminate the squid (Illex argentinus) season in national waters amid poor results that have turned it into the worst season on record.
Several factors combined this year to have the season end early -- the crisis of the Argentine fishing sector, the delicate biological state of the resource and the severe international credit crunch.
According to preliminary data released by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishery, and Food (SAGP&A), 57,770 tonnes of squid were landed in Argentine ports between 1 January and 13 August 2009. This volume represents a fall of 76.7 per cent in terms of the 247,665.2 tonnes unloaded between the first day of 2008 and 31 July of that year.
The port of Mar del Plata received 39,053.4 tonnes of squid through 13 August of this year; Madryn Port, 12,863.8 tonnes; and Deseado Port received landings totalling 3,145.9 tonnes, among other terminal ports.
The squid jigger fleet landed 48,212.4 tonnes of squid; fresh fish vessels, 4,924.7 tonnes; while 4,537.6 tonnes were unloaded by trawlers, among other vessels. According to fishing sector sources, most of the fleet chose not to partake in the fishing campaign, owing to the impossibility of keeping up with costs.
Just 12 vessels can be found in the fishing zone, whereas the rest have already been moored to port in anticipation of the next fishing season.
The vessels that continue fishing belong to companies that have taken a risk to try to reduce their millions in losses in light of an increase in squid’s international price due to low supply.
Against this backdrop, the Joint Technical Commission for the Argentine-Uruguay Maritime Front (CTMFM) fixed next 31 August as the closing date for squid fishing in waters within the Common Fisheries Zone (CFZ) shared by Argentina and Uruguay for the current year.
The measure was established on the basis of technical information furnished by both countries, in a bid to protect the resource.
“This season is finished and is the worst of any we can recall. Some companies removed their vessels amid the rise observed in prices, but were obliged because their finances are in the red,” said the president of the Argentine Chamber of Jigger Fishing Vessels Shipowners (CAPA), Fernando Georgiadis.
“The data on landings show that very little has been fished. It’s the worst season since 1993.” the executive added.
Given the squid’s major susceptibility to oceanographic changes, it is impossible to make forecasts for the 2010 season, Georgiadis added.
He furthermore insisted that the National State eliminate economic retentions applied to the squid sector.
Some days ago, Georgiadis met with Senator Silvia Giusti, to whom he explained “that it is essential to eliminate squid export rights [taxes], or failing that, lower or suspend them.”
The CAPA chief stressed the importance of incorporating this subject into the parliamentary docket.
Squid captures tend to fluctuate wildly, as demonstrated by the official statistics of some of the last few years:
- 1994: 198,833.4 tonnes;
- 1997: 335,765 tonnes;
- 2001: 411,719 tonnes;
- 2004: 76,485.4 tonnes;
- 2008: 255,530.9 tonnes.
Related article:
- Squid fishing ends this month in Common Zone with Uruguay
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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