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Argentina: Fisheries News

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Controversial hake quota allocation; Fishing exports generated USD 742 million up to December 2004.

Controversial hake quota allocation

The publication on the Boletín Oficial of the resolution by the Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Secretariat (SAGPyA), which sets common hake (Merluccius hubbsi) quotas for 2005, has raised a new controversy between the provincial authorities and union representatives for the reefer and fresh fish vessels ship-owners. According to the Resolution 1388/2004, reefer vessels will be allowed to catch around 70,000 tonnes of hake, while the fresh fish fleet's quota will be near 270,000 tonnes.

Also, the SAGPyA granted 40,000 tonnes to some provinces to address social and emergency situations. Buenos Aires was granted 14,000 tonnes; Rio Negro, 2,000 tonnes; Chubut, 1,700 tonnes, and Santa Cruz, 6800 tonnes.

"As the new quotas are discussed every year, the national Undersecretary of Fisheries reduced the total hake quota in all the provinces, and that is the issue we question because not all the provinces deserve the same reduction since not all the provinces complied with the norms in 2004 as they should have," Mario Das Neves, Chubut governor, told the newspaper El Santacruceño, when he returned from Buenos Aires after meeting Alberto Fernandez, Chief of Cabinet.

Das Neves demanded an equal treatment from the national authorities, as well as the corresponding respect to those who operate within the framework of law. "We acted legally and legitimately", he claimed.

Chubut governor is against Mar del Plata vessels, which has nothing to do with hake catching history whatsoever, to be now authorised to operate in Chubut.

The fresh fish fleet also rejects the new resolution. These vessels, mostly based in Buenos Aires, process fish on land, unlike reefers vessels based in the Patagonia, which process fish onboard.

The authorities of the Argentinean Chamber of Fish Processors of Mar del Plata rejected the official initiative of authorising reefers to operate to the north of parallel 49° S. They claim the measure would enable the extraction of more than 800,000 tonnes of fish during 2005, which could mean "the death certificate for the fishing ground and, therefore, for the Argentinean fishing industry," the newspaper La Nación reported.

On the other hand, Ventura Lafuente, vice-president of Pescapuerta Argentina, said the Resolution reduces reefer vessels' quota to benefit fresh fish vessels and describe it as "overrated and inefficient."

"It does not matter how much tonnes they get, it will never be enough," said the Spanish executive. "It's not about reefer or fresh fish vessels, it's about whether the vessels are irregular or not", he added.

Fishing exports generated USD 742 million up to December 2004

Between January and November 2004 processed and unprocessed fish and shellfish exports fetched USD 742 million, representing an 8.7 per cent decrease on the previous year, according to the last monthly report by Intercambio Comercial Argentino (ICA), and published by the National Institute for Statistics and Census (INDEC).

During November 2004, unprocessed fish and shellfish exports were worth USD 28 million, a figure that is 36 per cent below the one corresponding to the same month in 2003.

Meanwhile, exports registered during the January-November period for the same items were valued at USD 452 million, 23 per cent less than the same period of 2003, when exports reached USD 585 million.

Sales for foreign processed fish and shellfish markets totalled USD 31 million during November 2004, which was up 19 per cent over the same month in 2003.

During the first 11 months of 2004, the accumulated amount registered USD 290 million, 27 per cent more than the same period of 2003.

INDECs report also highlights the decrease in shrimps and prawn exports in 2004 with respect to the previous year.

Between January and November, shrimp and prawn exports were USD 212 million, registering a 42.4 per cent drop from 2003, when earnings reached USD 368 million.

Source FIS