MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fisheries News

Headlines: Argentina increases hake quota to 300,000 tonnes; The business sector welcomed the increase in the hake TAC; Index on the health of world's oceans released; Satellite control, top priority for Santa Cruz; Chilean industry fears changes in fisheries law; Multinational salmon farms to quit Scotland for Chile?; Ready for the best World Fishing Exhibition.

Argentina increases hake quota to 300,000 tonnes

Argentine authorities set the total allowable catch (TAC) quotas last week for the main commercial species caught in national waters. The most significant change was the hake TAC, which has increased by 50,000 tonnes to 300,000 tonnes this year. The Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) set the TACs for 2003 based on the recommendations of the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (Inidep) and according to the principle of "combining stock conservation with of the fishing sector sustainability". The CFP set quotas broadly similar to last year's in accordance with Responsible Fishing Conduct Code criteria. The TACs for several species of commercial interest are shown in the following table:

Species	TAC ( tonnes)
Argentine hake (Merlucius hubbsi)	300,000
Patagonian grenadier( Macruronus magellanicus)	230,000
Pink cusk-eel (Genypterus blacodes)	16,000
Tadpole codling (Salilota australis)	5,500
Southern hake (Merluccius australis)	5,000
Southern blue whiting ( Micromesistius australis)	55,000
Chub mackerel ( Scomberjaponicus ) between parallel 39º,30' and 41º S	10,000
Chub mackerel ( Scomber japonicus) south of parallel 41º S	9,000
Brazilian flathead( Percophis brasiliensis)	7,000
Castaneta ( Cherylodactylusberg i)	40,000
Patagonian flounder( Paralichtys patagonicus) and sole(Xystreuris rasile)	8,700
Common seabream( Pagrus pagrus)	1,700
Argentine seabass (Acanthistius brasilianus)	7,600

The business sector welcomed the increase in the hake TAC.

Pino Quercia, of Pesquera Mar del Chubut, told El Patagónico the decision responded to the Comodoro Rivadavia fresh fish sector's repeated requests to the authorities and was in stark contrast to the stance maintained by former Fisheries Undersecretary Rubén Marziale. Marziale has been recently replaced with Gerardo Nieto, who has vast experience in the field and has worked very closely with President Néstor Kirchner. But the Chamber of Small Fresh Fish Companies and Products (Capefa) criticised the decision, saying it was a dangerous move because stocks have not yet recovered sufficiently. Capefa secretary Antonio Trocki said the change in personnel had done nothing to change the authorities' attitude towards the exploitation of fishery resources. He accused the authorities of continuing to put stocks at risk "while the reefer fleet keeps on plundering". Trocki said the fishing companies he represents are still demanding that the reefer fleet switches to fresh fish. "According to official reports, last year the reefer fleet that operates in the gulf (San Jorge) returned 40,000 tonnes of dead hake to the sea," which is practically the same amount as this year's increase in TAC, said Trocki. "It is an inconsistency because there is no fish and they keep on plundering," he added. On the other hand, Oscar Lapalma, representative of the Food Industry Union in Comodoro Rivadavia - one of the main Patagonian fishing ports - said the increase was good but he hoped the Chubut government would take into account the number of employees when distributing the quota, to avoid any potential social conflicts. (FIS/MP).-

Index on the health of world's oceans released

The United States Marine Fish Conservation Network recently released its "Index on the Health of the World's Oceans," which answers such questions as: Is America protecting its ocean fish populations? How much seafood do Americans eat each year? How many dolphins died last year in tuna nets? Lee Crockett, Executive Director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, says that the index "provides hard facts, not opinions, about the state of our oceans, and what that means to the fishermen and communities who depend upon them, as well as the American consumer. Some of these facts may startle people. We hope that when people read this Index they will become more aware of how important, and fragile, the ocean really is." While members of the fishing industry challenge the accuracy of some of the Index's figures, some figures give pause. For example, the Index concludes that US saltwater sportfishermen spent USD 8.4 billion last year. In contrast, the total US commercial fishing harvest was worth just USD 3.2 billion to fishermen - a fraction of the sport industry. According to the index:

? Fifiteen per cent of the world's animal protein is supplied by fisheries and aquaculture. ? Global fish production from capture fisheries and aquculture totalled 287.4 billion pounds in 2001. ? The commercial fishing industry provides a total of 22.75 million jobs worldwide and 4.1 million boats are engaged in commercial fishing. ? The total value of international trade in fish products is USD55.2 billion and China is the leading producer. ? Around 75 per cent of global fish populations are fully exploited, overexploited, or severely depleted. ? Only 10 per cent of large fish including tuna, marlin, swordfish, sharks, cod, and halibut remain in the world's oceans. ? It takes 10 - 15 years for industrial fishing operations to reduce a previously unfished population by 80 per cent. ? The per capita consumption of seafood in the US in 2001 as 14.8 pounds and the total spent by US consumers on seafood in 2001was USD 55.3 billion.

The index also shows the number of dolphin and whale deaths resulting from commercial fishing and the percentage reduction in mortality achieved through legislation. It also quantifies the number of fish populations managed by the US government (932), how many of these are known to be in good health (8.6 per cent) and how many are known to be depleted (36.3 per cent). The Marine Fish Conservation Network is a national coalition of more than 150 commercial and recreational fishing associations, environmental organisations, aquariums, and marine scientists which are "dedicated to promoting the long-term sustainability of marine fish, representing more than 5 million people." (FIS/MP).

Satellite control, top priority for Santa Cruz

Restoring the abandoned Argentine fisheries Monpesat maritime satellite monitoring system is a major priority for Santa Cruz province's newly appointed head of Fisheries and Port Activities, marine biologist Juan Carlos Braccalenti. Satellite control, top priority for Santa Cruz Restoring the abandoned Argentine fisheries Monpesat maritime satellite monitoring system is a major priority for Santa Cruz province's newly appointed head of Fisheries and Port Activities, marine biologist Juan Carlos Braccalenti. Another priority will be keeping pace with fisheries exports in Puerto Deseado which since mid 2002 and during 2003 have beaten several export records. The port recently expanded its primary customs area to facilitate export operations. Mr. Braccalenti is well aware that production growth in the south of Argentina is closely linked with fisheries and port activities, which have become key instruments for the development of new production methods. This is why the satellite monitoring system Monpesat should be restored, as it was fundamental for the Argentine fleet and conservation. Mr. Braccalenti argued it made more sense for the system to be used at national level to achieve a comprehensive control over the fleet, but if that did not happen, Santa Cruz would implement the system at provincial level. In this case he would ask the authorities in Chubut to jointly operate the system with Santa Cruz to allow fishing to be monitored and controlled more effectively throughout the entire San Jorge gulf, reports Tiempo Sur. Monpesat stopped operating at the beginning of 2002, because the national government was in debt to the service supplier. Although the system is considered vital - by government authorities and fishery businessmen - to guarantee the development of sustainable fisheries, the system has not been reinstalled yet. Monpesat monitors the activities of vessels in the Argentine sea by means of a satellite, and locates the position and speed of vessels at any time, 24 hours a day. Since the system stopped operating, the Argentine Coast Guard has detected a considerable number of vessels violating regulations, the names of which were revealed by maritime authorities some time ago. (FIS/MP).- Another priority will be keeping pace with fisheries exports in Puerto Deseado which since mid 2002 and during 2003 have beaten several export records. The port recently expanded its primary customs area to facilitate export operations. Mr. Braccalenti is well aware that production growth in the south of Argentina is closely linked with fisheries and port activities, which have become key instruments for the development of new production methods. This is why the satellite monitoring system Monpesat should be restored, as it was fundamental for the Argentine fleet and conservation. Mr. Braccalenti argued it made more sense for the system to be used at national level to achieve a comprehensive control over the fleet, but if that did not happen, Santa Cruz would implement the system at provincial level. In this case he would ask the authorities in Chubut to jointly operate the system with Santa Cruz to allow fishing to be monitored and controlled more effectively throughout the entire San Jorge gulf, reports Tiempo Sur. Monpesat stopped operating at the beginning of 2002, because the national government was in debt to the service supplier. Although the system is considered vital - by government authorities and fishery businessmen - to guarantee the development of sustainable fisheries, the system has not been reinstalled yet. Monpesat monitors the activities of vessels in the Argentine sea by means of a satellite, and locates the position and speed of vessels at any time, 24 hours a day. Since the system stopped operating, the Argentine Coast Guard has detected a considerable number of vessels violating regulations, the names of which were revealed by maritime authorities some time ago. (FIS/MP).-

Chilean industry fears changes in fisheries law

The new Chilean fisheries law may give the government too much power over fishing periods, according to the Chilean National Fisheries Society (Sonapesca). General manager Cristián Jara said it wasn't clear exactly what powers Government authorities would have under the new law, and this could lead to a lack of effective control over fishing activities. The long term fishery law, which is currently under review, addresses issues that were not covered by the short term law approved by Congress in December 2002. This law set catch quotas for the different species for the next ten years. But a regulation scheme for the coastal sector is still pending. Now the fishing companies' main fear is that the Fisheries Department could end up setting fishing periods at will, which would result in insecurity within the industry and hinder future investments. According to Mr. Jara, industry players expect coastal fishing to be regulated ? this is a fundamental goal of the long term law - and that the regulations will guarantee the sustainability of marine resources in the future. According to El Mercurio, the bill that Congress is debating at present seeks to resolve issues related to coastal fishing, by imposing the same restrictions on semi-industrial ships 15 to 18 metres long that the industrial fleet is subject to - the payment of fishing licence fees, landing controls to volumes and species caught, and satellite monitoring devices to track vessel movements to prevent them from fishing in unauthorised areas. (FIS/MP).-

Multinational salmon farms to quit Scotland for Chile?

The closure of the Marine Harvest's processing factory in Stornoway could be the start of a withdrawal by multinational salmon farming firms in Scotland, claims an independent fish farm owner in the Western Isles. The multinational animal feed and farmed salmon conglomerate Nutreco, which owns Marine Harvest, last week announced the loss of 82 jobs with 60 of them coming from the closure of the processing facility in Stornoway. The remaining 22 jobs would be shed from the salmon harvesting teams in the Western Isles, Wester Ross and Skye. Angus MacMillan, the owner of the West Minch Salmon Group and the processed salmon marketing company, Hebrides West, said that development agencies in the Highlands and Islands really should focus on indigenous businesses. He claims that for years now he has been calling for assistance to be provided for the smaller company in terms of transport costs, in a bid to stay competitive. MacMillan told the Aberdeen Press and Journal: "This will affect the whole industry and with WISCO, owned by multinational Fjord Seafood, also saying their processing facility could be under threat, the likelihood is that neither will be operating in the Western Isles or even in Scotland in the near future the way things are going." "The processing facilities are just the beginning. They will also shut the smaller fish farm sites, and then the larger ones. "Given the advances they are making in Chile, I would not be surprised if they close down their operations in Scotland. "The Executive should find out from the companies what their long-term plans are." MacMillan says that the company was making more money for its operations in Norway, Chile and the Faroes than it was in Scotland. "Marine Harvest wanted to do away with the minimum import price the EC had in place until last week to protect Scottish and Irish salmon, so that they could get more salmon into the EU from these other countries. "The rules in Scotland mean that fish can be produced more cheaply in the other countries and they can sell them cheaper than we can produce them in Scotland. Marine Harvest was losing a lot of money in Scotland." MacMillan has also called for an investigation to be carried out into the amount of public money that Marine Harvest received, and to see if any could be reclaimed. He does not believe the company should receive any additional funding to open a new plant in Mallaig, where the company wants to build a new processing plant. The transport costs for his and other companies are considerable, he said. "Transport costs are a big problem. It costs me at least an extra GBP 150,000 to process salmon in the islands, than if I were to process them in Mallaig, because of transport costs", he underlined. (FIS/MP).-

Ready for the best World Fishing Exhibition

One of the world's largest fishing industry fairs, the World Fishing Exhibition, sponsored by Caixa Galicia, will take place in Vigo, Spain, from 17 to 21 September and promises to be the best yet, with more than 700 companies from 50 countries exhibiting their products. As usual, the international fishing industry's most important and innovative products will be on display, but this time more than 70,000 visitors are expected to attend the fair. If this figure is achieved then WFE 2003 will have attracted more exhibitors and visitors than the five previous ones hosted by Vigo, the ones held in different European capitals such as London and Dublin, and those held in cities such as Halifax in Canada, or Marseilles in France. The president of the WWE executive committee, Alfonso Paz-Andrade, last week made the official presentation at the Maritime Museum, which was attended by members of the press, some of the most important fishing industry representatives from Vigo, and Enrique Lopez Veiga, the Galician Fisheries Minister. Paz-Andrade said the exhibition would provide a great opportunity for Galician businessmen, who had been so badly affected by the Prestige oil spill, to build relationships with their counterparts from all over the world. Visits to shipyards, processing plants and companies involved in the fishing industry, the naval sector and auxiliary industries have all been arranged as part of the exhibition. The organisers have confirmed that 13 countries will occupy the exhibition pavilions: Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Spain, France, Holland, Faeroe Islands, Iceland, Italy, Norway, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Switzerland. Representatives from the Galician and Andalusia governments, the Spanish central government fisheries agency FROM, the EU Fisheries Directorate General, the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation, and the Basque Association of Maritime Industries will also be in attendance. Earlier this week, it was announced that Caixa Galicia would contribute EUR 265,000 for the World Fishing Exhibition staging, becoming the official sponsor. Caixa Galicia's director-general, José Luis Méndez stressed the importance of the event: "It is a window for the local fishing industry that will raise the profile of the sector, which represents 10% of Galicia GDP, and will boost the image of Vigo and Galicia." (FIS/MP).-

No foreign fishing vessels in local waters

No foreign fishing vessels are officially operating in local waters here, according to the Environmental Affairs Minister, Valli Moosa. Speaking at the opening debate for his department's budget vote in the national assembly, Moosa said that the closing of the waters to foreigners is a key step in safeguarding the country's natural resources, reports News24. "Let me also now announce that we have reached a point where not a single foreign country has access to fish in South African waters." This means that the rich fishing resources "first benefit us here at home instead of being over-exploited by foreign countries". Moosa pointed out that almost 70 per cent of global fish stocks are depleted or fully exploited, according to figures from the United Nations Environment Programme, and that South Africa's figures contrast favourably to these. "This stands in contrast to South Africa, where we have a proud record of properly managing our rich fishing resources." His department has tendered for a system that will efficiently track fishing boats, following the arrest of a foreign vessel last year caught fishing illegally in local waters. Moosa hopes that a tracking system will allow authorities to keep a track of fishing vessels, their permits and their catches on "a near real-time basis". Recent oceanographic surveys show that populations of pilchard and anchovy in South African waters "are at record highs". South African fish exports totalled 153,815 tons in 2001, with a value of ZAR 1.8 billion. (FIS/MP)