Falkland Islands: First loligo season of the year the ‘best since 2000’
FISHING companies are celebrating the best loligo season for ten years, with catches over the past seven weeks exceeding 28,000 tonnes.
The first season of the year ended on Wednesday, and local companies contacted by the Penguin News were delighted, with one boss saying: “It’s been the best since 2000.”
“There’s been good quality squid and plenty of it,” said Alex Reid of Seaview, an opinion widely repeated across the industry.
If this year’s season so far can be described as “the best since 2000” the fact that last year’s season closed early because catches were particularly bad, leads to the hope that when this year’s catch hits the market, it will not have to compete with large quantities of loligo still in cold storage from earlier seasons, and should fetch a good price.
Last season’s catch was just 13,000 tonnes.
Tom Blake of RBC said companies would naturally try to sell the earliest caught fish first, but it was not unusual for loligo - the Falklands native squid which turns up on plates in Spain as “calamares” – to remain in cold storage for eight or nine months and, if stored at a constant -25C, it could remain good for as long as 18 months.
Beauchêne Fishing’s final loligo shipment will be containerised in Stanley this weekend, the company’s third transhipment in this manner this season.
Managing Director Cheryl Roberts, said containerisation had worked very well this season and saw it as “the way to go” in the future.
Most of the trawlers involved have now either turned their attention to other species, or are already heading for lay-up in Montevideo or Vigo. The second loligo season is due to start on July 15, but the level of availability of squid to be caught then is difficult to assess, says Director of Natural Resources, John Barton.
Some prediction models, based on variables such as water temperature are available, said Mr Barton, but these were unreliable. It is expected the Fisheries Department will carry out a pre-season survey cruise in early July to enable a more accurate assessment to be made.
But while the loligo crews and companies were happy, the same could not be said of those fishing for illex.
Less than half way through what used to be a four-month season, it is not living up to its early promise, and already some of the 75 or so vessels which took up licences have left the zone, with others expected to follow, either going to other fisheries or returning to home ports, according to Natural Resources Director John Barton.
The season, which at the beginning promised a return to something approaching normal catch levels, now appears to be petering out. Up until the start of last week, the total reported catch was 11,500 tonnes – better than last season, but a long way short of the 100,000 to 150,000 tonnes caught in good years, said Mr Barton.
Had catches justified the recent increase in interest in buying illex licences, in budgetary terms this could have been a reasonable year for the Falkland Islands Government, he said.
But under the current licensing rules for the Falklands biggest value catch, “some refunding will be inevitable.” Asked whether the knowledge that refunds would be made if catch levels were poor might prove a temptation to vessels to report smaller catch quantities than they were actually taking, Mr Barton admitted it might be a possibility.
However, while observer cover was low on jiggers, the Fisheries Department tried to get on as many vessels as possible to carry out inspections at sea, and it was clear there had been much less transhipment activity than would be normal in a good or even average year.
Stuart Wallace, whose company Fortuna was recently represented at the International Boston Seafood Show, said that the absence of smaller illex squid in the market might help to maintain a reasonable price for this season’s loligo catch with which it sometimes competed.
But he said nothing could be accurately predicted about the loligo price, as most of the catch was still on its way to market. (Penguin News)
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Did I read that right? Spain buying Falklands Squid, I thought they tacitly Argentina?
See page 28 of pdf (7 of document) Spain ES had the largest number of Falklands waters fishing licenses for 2009, and page 39 of pdf ( page 18 of document) Spain ES had the largest total catch for 2009
Yes, but the Spanish government is not stopping them - and they would be if their boats were illegally fishing in “Argentine” waters, no?
Many have - you squandered them. Instead you showed your true colours in that you are a lying, foolish, violent and somewhat unstable little man....as your next few posts will prove.;-)
Now , now - you will only cause Jihad Jorges little brain to explode if you post such questions;-)
The drilling goes on and the ships come and go unimpeded.
8. Relax little christine!!!! Why are you so nervous??? Enjoy your life!!! :-)
9. LOL. My answer destroyed his question. His question is stupid after my answer.
10. What about you stupid beef wannabe businessman???? LOL
So - see if you will answer this question Jihad Jorge...
If Argentina is really being truthful about wanting to end colonialism let it put its money where its mouth is and stop trying to impose colonialism on the Falklands?
14. The claim is not colonialism. Colonialism is what UK is doing there. I suggest you to meet a dictionary!!!!
Your claim is colonialism and it is also against UN enshrined rights to self determination. The UK is not acting as a colonial power in the Falklands. You really do need to do a bit more research. On second thoughts - it is perhaps best that you don't as the facts of the matter would cause your tiny brain to explode.
Argentina is the country that is trying to impose upon a people a culture that is alien to them and is also trying to deny them self determination. It does this by threats and by trying to infringe upon their human rights. I appreciate that, given Argentina's genocidal colonial past, it is hard for her to give up her old ways but more mature countries have moved on into the 21st century. If only Argentina would join us...
We will claim always and take the measures we can to presserve our rights. If it were up to me, they could end their lives of starvation if not recognize argentine juridiction.
The UK removed a set of people who were trying to usurp the islands from their rightful owners. No matter how you try to spin it - you are wrong as usual.
Jihad Jorge - the hater of human rights and supporter of child killers wrote “they have no say on this”
WRONG WRONG and WRONG. They have every say in this and the UN has given that say. Their wishes are paramount and it doesn't matter what Argentina says or how it tries to spin it. To be honest - it does matter what the UK says either as the UK cannot override their rights either. The difference between the UK and ARgentina is that the UK acknowledges this and upholds their human rights whereas Argentina tries to ignore their rights and acts unlawfully in doing so.
As to being implanted - they are as much implanted as your silly great great grandparents - you know the ones. Those that colonised South America. The very same ones that are spinning in their graves at the sound of your threats and lies. They are ashamed of you Jorge.
Islander have no say, that's why UN calls UK and Argentina you bunch of retards!!!
Las Malvinas fueron, son y serán argentinas!!!
Volveremos!!!
Jorge - you really do need to stop and think before you post. The 'UN' does NOT say what you say at all. A 'committee' *recommended* to the UN - you can see the difference can't you? And the UN hasn't formally taken up the *recommendation* - it can't anyway as to do so would violate its statements on self-determination. So - hard luck my little latin chum.
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