Tuesday, May 1st 2012 - 00:03 UTC

Argentina fish and seafood exports paralyzed because of maritime union conflict

Argentina fish and seafood industry exports have been paralyzed following industrial action from the maritime workers union which is demanding a round of salary and other benefits’ negotiations with the fishing companies located in Mar del Plata and Patagonian ports.

Mar del Plata port, Argentina’s fishing industry hub

The maritime workers union, Somu alleges that the fish industry chambers are “reticent” to open a round of salary negotiations and given the accumulated debts with personnel and delays in complying with the mandatory pensions contributions, “fish remains in Argentina, not a single kilo will be shipped because workers are not going to subsidize with their effort and sacrifice the exporting companies”.

A similar situation was experienced in 2008, and since Somu also includes the tugs personnel this means that no containers can be loaded to ships since the union demands from the companies to see the cargo manifesto of the vessels to ensure there are no fish or sea food products embarked. Containers loaded with fish must remain stacked in the port.

The union has also warned about having Argentine fish and seafood loaded in Montevideo which acts as transhipment for many Patagonian ports that do not have direct services to foreign markets.

When the conflict of 2008, which paralyzed Argentine fish’ exports during six weeks, some exporters had the cargo sent by truck to Buenos Aires or Montevideo. But then the maritime workers union warned that any shipping company loading container with fish would not be served.

Likewise on this occasion Somu will not handle ships with fish containers while the conflict lasts, a decision that has already altered transhipment activities in Montevideo for several maritime companies such as MSC, Maersk and Evergreen.

The Argentine Navigation centre which brings together maritime agencies has addressed letters to the Transport and Port authorities warning that the whole foreign trade of Argentina has fallen hostage to a conflict between Somu and the fishing companies.

However the Chamber of Argentine Fishing companies, Cepa, alleges that currently “there is no conflict with Somu”. The problems allegedly are caused by retired fishing crews which have a standing conflict with the Labour Ministry and the pensions’ scheme and to protest have cut access to the port “with no one doing anything to stop them”.

Furthermore “Customs has increased controls on fish exports since it argues containers with frozen fish are susceptible of been packed with drugs”, claims Cepa.

Mar del Plata concentrates and processes 70% of Argentina’s catch. Most of Argentina’s catch is exported totalling between 1.4 and 1.5 billion dollars annually. In Mar del Plata the fishing industry employs 20.000 people.
 

Published in: Fisheries, Argentina.
Tags: Argentina, CEpa, Mar del Plata, maritime union conflict, seafood export, SOMU.

19 comments Feed

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1 The Cestrian (#) May 01st, 2012 - 05:36 am Report abuse
How ironic.

The Falklands fishing industry, despite a blockade, goes from strength to strength whilst the RG equivalent is paralysed.

LOL.
2 Usurping Pirate (#) May 01st, 2012 - 07:40 am Report abuse
Snigger........
3 LEPRecon (#) May 01st, 2012 - 10:23 am Report abuse
Now, now, we mustn't laugh at the misfortune of others....

..... Oh, what the hell, ha, ha,ha.

How will the Argtards try to spin this? I mean in their blinkered world view, everything is marvellous in Argentina, so why would there be any need to strike?

Obviously ordinary Argentinians are worried about their pay, their pensions and their very future. Pity CFK and her mod don't give a damn about them, and why should they? They've squirreled millions away in their own 'personal' retirement funds, located in Switzerland, the Caymans etc...
4 Conqueror (#) May 01st, 2012 - 10:40 am Report abuse
Isn't Mar d3el Plata supposed to have a naval base? How do they get the warships around all those containers of rotting fish?
5 LEPRecon (#) May 01st, 2012 - 10:59 am Report abuse
@4 - More like, how are they going to move the fish around those rusting heaps laughingly called warships? LOL
6 toooldtodieyoung (#) May 01st, 2012 - 11:24 am Report abuse
3 LEPRecon

oh I can see this one coming a mile off, the Falklands will get the blame for this one. Directly or indirectly, I bet the state controled media is whipping up a story right now.......
7 malen (#) May 01st, 2012 - 11:58 am Report abuse
Biased article, behind the other of Malvinas, writting in a contrary way.
Propaganda for their industry. Dont worry about our fishing, our meat and our agricultural industry. Fortunatelly we have it all. And very good standards.
8 Conqueror (#) May 01st, 2012 - 01:01 pm Report abuse
@7 Where's this “Malvinas” place? Do you mean Maldives? Heard about your fishing. Isn't most of it in containers going rotten? Your meat? Do you mean you're selling off those things you laughingly call women now? Slim, sexy beauties until they get married or turn 30. Then flabby and FAT! Or do you mean cows? Sorry, that's your women again, isn't it? Oh, cattle. Those four-legged biochemical depositories. Eat 'em up, boyo! Agriculture? You grow anything besides soy? Glad you have the same high standards as your idol. What a pity he put a bullet through his brain in 1945!
9 Chicureo (#) May 01st, 2012 - 01:27 pm Report abuse
#7 The American President at the last Summit of the Americas re-named the Falkland Islands the “Maldives.” (Sort of a nice compromise I thought.)
Please use the correct new denomination for the islands in the future. Thank you.

Oh by the way, recently at the summit of the Americas (You know, the one where some of the American Secret Service agents got into a little trouble), Obama was caught unaware with a hot microphone while discussing your country with the President of Columbia. I'm afraid I can't quote him word for word, but he accurately describes Argentina as a cesspool of crybabies ruled over by a ”...mad (word deleted) president... blaming everyone else for their own problems.”
10 malen (#) May 01st, 2012 - 01:48 pm Report abuse
Coquito, sorry, but in UK must happen that you cant even find sexy beauties at all ages, not women nor men. Must be the genetic, the no mix you have.
and chicofeo, Obama doesnt care of anyone else than his own country. I think he doesnt know where Chile is.
11 Ken Ridge (#) May 01st, 2012 - 03:06 pm Report abuse
7 malen

“Dont worry about our fishing, our meat and our agricultural industry.”

We don't worry, we laugh about it.

Don't you worry about “OUR” Falkland Islands, they are doing just fine without Argtard interference.
Do you find it frustrating that a small community of 3000 can perfectly manage their economy? All you Argtards can do is make a mess of everything.

9 Chicureo

” but he accurately describes Argentina as a cesspool of crybabies ruled over by a ”...mad (word deleted) president... blaming everyone else for their own problems.”

Quite an accurate description indeed.
12 Chicureo (#) May 01st, 2012 - 05:19 pm Report abuse
#11 Yes, well his Sec. of State was really leaning to CFK's side and was calling the islands by the Malvinas name. She pressured Obama to say the “M” word, but he screwed it up. According to the press side comments, she was a “mad b*tch” when they refused to discuss the islands. She's alienated too many people.
13 yankeeboy (#) May 01st, 2012 - 05:28 pm Report abuse
7. What meat industry? The Ks destroyed it there are frigos closing all over the country and your exports are lower than Uruguay!
14 ElaineB (#) May 01st, 2012 - 05:53 pm Report abuse
@12 Hillary CLinton was just trying to look all Presidential by getting involved - she has one eye on the 2016 elections - but she has been put in her place on this one.

@13 I may have mentioned before about a friend in BsAs who owns an abattoir. She cannot sell her meat freely, she has to wait for 'the phone call' and she is told to whom she can sell and at what price, providing the right bribe is paid each time. Lovely way to do business.
15 Pirat-Hunter (#) May 01st, 2012 - 08:17 pm Report abuse
Break the big corporations who hire this protesters and give fishermen loans to buy boats soo they can fish for themselves and build bigger fishing industry in Patagonia to compete with Islas Malvinas theft of our fisheries.
16 juapell (#) May 01st, 2012 - 09:14 pm Report abuse
SOMU = one of the biggest mafias ever created in the form of a unión. Try to get a boat and fish by yourself bypassing SOMU. HA!!
17 briton (#) May 01st, 2012 - 10:16 pm Report abuse
7 malen
We all agree with you,
The world is at your feet,
Shame it smells a bit fishy .lol
.
18 Chicureo (#) May 02nd, 2012 - 05:10 am Report abuse
#13 It's VERY expensive to close down a meat processing plant due to Argentinean worker protection laws. According to the Argentine government, 27% of the meat packing plant capacity has closed during the past 6 years.
19 ChrisR (#) May 02nd, 2012 - 01:14 pm Report abuse
Now be fair all you Brits! ”Furthermore “Customs has increased controls on fish exports since it argues containers with frozen fish are susceptible of been (sic) packed with drugs”, claims Cepa.”

Well, they would get more backhanders for The Mad Bitch if they had drugs in the freezer containers.

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