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EU lamb quality controls “intrusive”; Hovercraft transportation in Patagonia; Red tide control in Magallanes lacks financing; Ray and eel options for Punta Arenas; Squid licencing in Rio Negro province;

EU lamb quality controls "intrusive"

Lamb and mutton exports to the European Union as of next season will have to comply with additional sanitary and quality conditions and for the first time "good humane farming practices" which have been described by Magallanes farmers as "excessive and intrusive", reports La Prensa Austral in Punta Arenas. "Some of those requisites exceed sanitary conditions and will interfere and make more costly the production process", argued Pablo Sapunar, vicepresident of the Magallanes Farmers Association. But the regional representative of the Chilean Agriculture and Livestock Service, SAG, Carlos Rowland says it really is "an improved quality certification mechanism, extensive to husbandry conditions which respond to growing international concern about animal welfare". Mr. Rowland has invited farmers to join a pilot program under SAG guidance with the purpose of preparing for the new conditions that will become effective in the near future. "This is something we can only accept under protest", stressed Mr. Sapunar complaining about the production and flock care instructions to enhance quality controls that the EU is demanding. However Mr. Rowland pointed out that all those farmers wishing to breed lamb and mutton for export to EU will have to register with SAG and comply with the instructions, beginning next season. "The export certification process will be gradual so as not to interfere that much with farmers as they get used to the new instructions".

Hovercraft transportation in Patagonia.

An initiative to join the Argentine provinces of Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego with British made hovercrafts in under consideration by both regional governments. According to the local press the idea is for both provinces to associate with the Argentine federal government in the creation of a company that will exploit passenger and freight transport across the Magellan Strait. The project considers the purchase of two hovercrafts from Britain capable of transporting 400 passengers and 60 vehicles. The initial investment would demand two million US dollars and save crossing 210 kilometers of Chilean territory.

Red tide control in Magallanes lacks financing.

The lack of funds to continue with the Magallanes Region program for the control of red tide that endangers human heath and sea food resources in the region has reached the Chilean Congress. Magallanes Senator Sergio Fernandez during a congressional hearing made a formal request for funds from the Chilean Health Ministry to continue in 2005 with the research undertaken by the regional Fisheries Promotion Office (IFOP). "The red tide problem not only involves the community's health but also the fishing industry and coastal fishermen who live from mussels and other sea food extraction. IFOP has done a wonderful job and it must be continued", said Senator Fernandez. With a recent change in budgetary procedures IFOP no longer can be financed by the Chilean Regional Development Fund and must request directly to the different offices involved in Santiago. IFOP has an annul budget of approximately 200,000 US dollars which is mainly for sampling and analyzing sea water in the different inlets and fiords along the Magallanes coastline. This involves renting boats and keeping records of the different operations. The data collected from the sampling helps sanitary officials decide when to establish bans on human consumption of mollusks that can be highly intoxicating because of the red tide toxin content. Apparently half of that money will be coming from the Chilean Health Ministry, however it's not clear yet which other office or department will pick up the rest of the bill.

Ray and eel options for Punta Arenas

Ray and eel have become the main fisheries option and with greatest expansion potential according to the latest Magallanes Region catches statistics. According to the Regional Director of Chilean Fisheries Department Patricio Díaz regional ray catches are 20% above last year and eel has ballooned from an almost inexistent 860 kilos to over 52 tons. "The potential is even greater because of the recently free trade agreement signed with South Korea and eel is a staple dish for South Koreans", said Mr. Díaz. Apparently eel is quiet abundant in the strait area and lives in large schools particularly in muddy ocean bottoms. Mr. Díaz added that researchers are looking into other possible eel licencing areas.

Squid licencing in Rio Negro province

The province of Rio Negro in Argentine Patagonia has called on interested parties to apply for six squid licences in the South Atlantic. Those companies interested must have a four years uninterrupted fishing record in the province and no debts pending with the local government. Each jigger must pay for a full time on board observer and must contribute to a scientific research fund. Applications will be received until August 27 and permits will be awarded according to a points system. Licence conditions costs are 150 Argentine pesos per jigger, approximately 30 US dollars.

Spain displeased with Argentine hake quota

Galician freezer vessel owners with joint ventures underway in Argentina are not happy with the recent common hake (Merluccius hubbsi) quota allocation for the period August-December 2004. Resolution 675/04 from the Argentine Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Secretary (SAGPyA) allocated a total of 138,000 tonnes, 84% of which to the fresh-fish fleet and the remaining 16%, just over 22,000 tonnes, to the freezer vessels, many of which are joint ventures with Galician investors. The figure represents a hard blow to freezer fleet vessel owners, who have demanded a 30% of the allocated quota. Hugo Omar Villar CEO of the Galician company Pescargen described the Argentine attitude as "discriminatory" against the freezer fleet's interests. Besides the fact that unlike fresh-fish vessels his vessels are banned from operating the five miles zone established in 2000. Mr. Villar warned that the reduced quota would result in the forced inactivity of several vessels and insisted allocations must respect fisheries legislation. Foreign investors are critical about the controversial "social quota" that benefits small and not so small vessels, operating without licences in Argentine waters. "We will have to wait and see what happens", said a skeptic Mr. Villar who fears further restrictions next January fro the high seas fleet, in spite of Argentine authorities assurances that the final goal are definitive quotas and an end to extraordinary measures such as the recently enforced. (FIS/MP).-