MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

NGO warns about over-fishing

An Argentine non government organization, NGO, Cedepesca (Centre for the Defence of National Fishing), has publicly warned about the increase of illegal fishing in the South Atlantic, particularly regarding squid.

Mr. Ernesto Godelman from Cedepesca is quoted by the Argentine press saying that since last January over 220 vessels have been operating illegally in the Argentine EEZ, most of them Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean.

Mr. Godelman explained that in the nineties with Argentina's generous chartering and licensing system hundreds of foreign vessels virtually "plundered the South Atlantic", mostly hake and squid, but fortunately in 2001 Congress revoked the system leaving the area for a limited number of Argentine jiggers.

According to Mr. Godelman no more than a hundred Argentine vessels and fifteen foreign are currently licenced for squid.

Mr. Godeleman quotes Argentine Navy and Coast Guard figures to support his concern and lack of action from the Argentine government. In the 2000 season apparently 232 foreign vessels were detected operating illegally within the Argentine 200 miles; in 2001 the number jumped to 296 and last year 347.

"Greater monitoring is essential to prevent squid from running down the same road as happened with the hake Hubbsi fishery that almost collapsed", underlined Mr. Godelman.