MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
First reports bleak for squid season
The Squid (Illex Argentinus) fishery season in Argentine waters, which began last February 1, has not registered any significant catch volumes for the Japanese operators. After the first week of operations, only the initial few days could be considered productive, although it is still early to forecast a weak harvest.
Fishery outside the 200-mile Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) amounted to almost nothing. The Japanese fleet hopes that this will improve as of mid February. Currently, 12 Japanese bare-boat charter vessels are fishing in Argentina's EEZ. The first reports counted an average of 3,500 to 4,000 boxes per boat, per day, considered a good catch. Nonetheless, after the fourth day, catches suffered an abrupt change, dropping to below 1,800 boxes. This tendency has continued over the subsequent two days registering an average 1,000 boxes the first day and 800 boxes the second day. According to sources from the sector, the initial good harvest was less than last year's, and lasted only a few days. This year's catch is overall much less than that of 2003.
Despite having only recently initiated operations Japanese operators are still attempting to locate better fishery sites; it has been reported that the sizes are irregular, between 20 and 80 pieces per kilo, indicating the resource may be experiencing poor conditions.
In the past two years, a steady decline in squid catches in the southeast Atlantic Ocean has been felt, falling from 70,600 tonnes in 2001 to only 26,690 tonnes in 2002 (9,720 tonnes from Argentina, 5,610 from the Falklands, and 11,360 tonnes outside the EEZ). In 2003, catches further decreased to 24,150 (12,230 tonnes from Argentina, 8,800 tonnes from Falklands, and 3,120 tonnes from outside the EEZ).
Some fear that if fishery in Argentine waters does not recover, the production of Illex squid will decline, resulting in a third year of poor harvesting.
Source: FIS
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