MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Barton: high seas squid catching undermine conservation

Unless conservation measures can be extended to the high seas there's always a risk that actions taken in the EEZs are undermined, said Falkland Islands Fisheries Department Director John Barton following the Islands decision to close the Illex squid season as of Wednesday 08:00 hours.

"The big issue which has already been discussed extensively is whether the high seas are incorporated into conservation measures", indicated Mr. Barton adding that this can turn out to be "quite a long process", because it must be done by consensus and negotiation.

"I think that if conservation measures can be extended to the full area then there is a much better prospect of being able to restore stocks and to achieve conservation objectives", but unless this can be done, "then prospects for Illex don't look particularly good", waned Mr. Barton.

Last Monday Argentina adopted a similar closure decision meaning that the neighbouring EEZs in the South Atlantic have cut short several weeks the Illex season.

"We are certainly aware that on the other side of the Atlantic, the South East Atlantic, there is an organization for that area", and it took several years to negotiate the high seas agreement, involving/inviting all the countries that currently fish in the area.

As to the recurrence of poor Illex years for the Falklands, Mr. Barton pointed to a possible combination of unfavourable oceanography for Illex with warmer water temperatures but also excess catches and excess fishing efforts.

"Catches in 1999/2000 went very high throughout the South Atlantic; there were very high catches in the high seas areas and in the Argentine zone and significant catches in the Falklands' zone" underlined the Islands Fisheries Director.

The poor Illex 2004/05 means another hard year not only for fishermen but for the Falklands Treasury which once more will see licences revenue considerably reduced.

To the anticipated revenue contraction since fewer licences were awarded this season, must be further subtracted the refunds to be made in view of the early closure.