MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

High seas December squid fishing, a “fiasco”

The high seas (plus 200 miles) squid catching “crusade” before the official season begins, has proved to be an Argentine government “media show” and a “fiasco”, according to CeDePesca, an Argentine organization for the Defence of Fisheries with offices in Mar del Plata.

CeDePesca working on data provided by the Argentine Coast Guard, says that only 13 jiggers (seven Argentine and six foreign charters) have actually followed the high seas Argentine government initiative with extremely poor results, 800 kilos of squid per vessel per day, "a mere 10% of what is needed for these vessels to be profitable", in other words, "a total failure, a fiasco".

Furthermore the "invasion" of 250 foreign vessels that was forecasted is actually a hundred, far less than in previous seasons and those who do it "are normally licenced by the Falklands" preparing to operate in Malvinas waters.

CeDePesca also reveals that the law authorizing Argentine jiggers to operate in high seas from December 15 is nine years old, and that Argentine jiggers normally do not operate in the area at this time of the year because catches and squid sizes are very small.

CeDePesca complains that the Argentine government "media show" and "empty announcements" have been followed by the Fisheries Under Secretary refusal to receive representatives from the Argentine jiggers fleet to talk about conservation and lack of control regarding squid catches in the Argentine EZZ.

Finally the list of thirteen jiggers: Yko Maru 8; Chokyu Maru 35; Hosei Maru 23; Hosei Maru 13; Tae Baek 606; Tae Baek 75; Arbumasa XXVI; Dasa 757; Puente Valdes; Dasa 508; Esamar 4; Patagonia 2 and Sur Este 502.