MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina bans squid fishery south of parallel 44.

As anticipated Argentine fishery authorities decided to ban squid fishing (Illex argentinus) south of parallel 44°S because of exceptionally poor catches. The decision was made official Wednesday with the publication in the Official Gazette of decree 201/3004 effective midnight tonight April 14.

The squid season south of parallel 44 which provides 70% of all catches normally closes June 30.

The decision adopted by the Argentine Under-secretary of Fisheries is based on scientific information from the National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP). The early closure of the fishery in southern Patagonia was recommended when catches continued to be particularly low.

According to official figures during the first three months of the year the Argentine jigger fleet extracted little over 28,200 tonnes of squid. This is significantly less than the volume caught in the same period last year which totalled 95,400 tons.

"Squid is an annual species, whose behaviour is erratic and demands precautionary measures. The fishery ban south of parallel 44 was implemented with the only purpose of preserving the species and guaranteeing continued activity," said Fisheries Under-secretary Gerardo Nieto to Télam.

"It will certainly affect the fishing effort, but it's preferable to implement precautionary suspensions, than suffer the resource's extinction," he emphasised.

This is the third consecutive year that the Argentine government is forced to anticipate the closure of the squid season because of cephalopod's scarcity.

A similar decision for conservation reasons was announced a few days ago by the Falkland Islands Fisheries Department when Director John Barton said the squid season would close as of April 14, two months ahead of the usual date, for conservation reasons. (FIS/MP).-