MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine fisheries exports forecasted to drop 30%.

Argentine fisheries exports this year are forecasted to drop 30% compared to 2003 because of the poor squid and shrimp catches, according to the latest reports released by the Argentine Fisheries Department. Last year total fisheries exports totalled 885 million US dollars.

In the first six months of 2004, squid catches reached 69,754 tons and shrimp 18,786 tons, the worst figures in over five years. Squid overseas sales so far this year total 50 million US dollars compared to 73 million in 2003, and the season is over. As to shrimp, exports have reached 125 million US dollars against 380 million US dollars in the whole of 2003.

Argentine scientific sources blame the current situation on oceanographic conditions as well as over fishing.

But Argentine Fisheries Department authorities believe they face an additional challenge fearing that poor squid and shrimp seasons could lead fishing companies to demand greater catch quotas for another prime export species, hubbsi hake.

So far in the first six months of 2004, hake exports were equivalent to 114 million US dollars, and catches have totalled 290,000 tons out of a total annual of 405,000.

"We will have to double efforts to ensure the maximum allowable catch of 405,000 remains at that figure", said Fisheries Department Director Gerardo Nieto, who warned that if the total tonnage is reached before the end of the year, "we will not hesitate a moment in closing down the hake fishery". Mr. Nieto emphasized that his department will force a strict compliance of the established rules "to ensure conservation of maritime resources".

The South Atlantic hubbsi hake fishery in the late nineties almost collapsed following a virtually decade long uncontrolled effort which forced Argentine authorities to impose drastic conservation measures in 2000, which apparently have helped recover the species.

Mr. Nieto who comes from Santa Cruz province as current Argentine president Nestor Kirchner has repeatedly cautioned that his main job has been "to discipline" an industry which for too long "has been accustomed to tailor made resolutions".