MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina’s attempt to advance the squid season seems condemned to failure

Cheryl Roberts from Beauchene said Argentina’s decision was “a complete disregard for conservation of the squid stock”.

Argentina’s Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) ordered the temporary cancellation of jiggers’ dispatches because of the low catches of squid (Illex argentinus) registered by the five vessels operating south of latitude 44°.

Last October, the CFP decided to open an Argentine sea area from 1 December in order to deepen the study of the squid fishery and to learn more about its behaviour at this time of the year.

The decision not to wait until 1 February, 2012 to open an area south of parallel 44° had been requested by ship-owners for a long time and in recent years they have seen cephalopod yields drop dramatically.

The fishing area stretches between the parallels 44° and 47° south latitude, east of meridian 64° west longitude and south of the parallel 47° South east of the line of provincial jurisdiction.

On this occasion, the Council warns that if in 10 days the fishery continues with the same very low verified indices, fishing will be closed until 1 February, according to Record No. 44/2011.

The early opening of the squid season in Argentine waters was criticized by the new president of Beauchene Fishing Company Ltd in the Falkland Islands, Cheryl Roberts, who referred to the decision as a “complete disregard for conservation of the stock.”

“We never know what our neighbours have in store for us” she added, according to the Falkland Islands weekly Penguins News.

Likewise a few days ago researchers at the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (Inidep) warned that samples obtained during the global season of hake (Merluccius hubbsi) were unsatisfactory.

Between August, October and part of November catches in weight were low to the south of parallel 44° as a result of the high proportion of juvenile specimens, experts added according to the Website Pescare.

CFP has ordered observers must be taken onboard trawlers to collect information on the operating activities being carried out by the vessels. (FIS/MP).-