MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fisheries: Breaking News

Headlines:
Japanese research vessel helps with squid survey; Argentina's half year fish exports reached 452 million; Federal Fisheries Council sets maximum allowable catches for 2005.

Japanese research vessel helps with squid survey

Argentina's Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) authorised a Japanese vessel to carry out a prospecting campaign on juvenile squid stocks (Illex argentinus), specifically the south-Patagonia (SSP) and summer-spawning (SDV) populations, as requested by the country's Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SSP&A).

The prospecting cruise by the oceanographic fishing vessel Kaiyo Maru, aims to locate and assess juvenile squid populations on the Argentine shelf and neighbouring ocean waters during winter and spring months. The study will supplement other surveys carried out by National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) vessels during the winter.

CFP members unanimously approved the research in view of the oceanographic fishing vessel Kaiyo Maru's "instrumental equipment capacity and technical and scientific staff to perform the sampling and lab experiments, as described in the campaign plan."

The joint Argentina-Japan campaign will cover two specific research areas: Area A: above the Argentine continental shelf, between 37°00'S and 44° 30'S; and Area B: the ocean region opposite the Argentine shoreline, between 37°00'S and 47° 00'S.

CFP granted permission on condition that in the Common Fishing Zone (ZOCOPES) shared by Argentina and Uruguay, the research is restricted to the Argentine side and the Argentine delegation of the Maritime Front Joint Technical Commission's (CTMFM) is notified on the adopted decision.

Other coastal provinces wishing to provide their own observers to take part in the international cooperation initiative should contact INIDEP authorities to agree on the campaign's terms.

Kaiyo Maru belongs to the Japan Fisheries Agency and was launched in July 1991. She was specially built for ocean research, is 93 metres long, has a 2,630 tons displacement and carries 65 people including 18 researchers. Her cruising range is 14,000 miles and cruising speed 17 knots. (FIS/MP).-

Argentina's half year fish exports reached 452 million

Between January and June 2005, Argentina's processed and unprocessed fish and shellfish exports reached 452 million US dollars, 5% above the same period last year reported the National Institute for Statistics and Census.

The Argentine Commercial Exchange Report released by INDEC, shows that June fish and shellfish exports totalled 55 million US dollars virtually the same as June 2004. During the first six months of 2005, total exports of unprocessed fish and shellfish hit reached 277 million US dollars, 2% above the first half of 2004, (277 million). Regarding processed fish and shellfish products, INDEC revealed that June exports totalled 35 million US dollars, 59% more than June 2004. Total income for processed fish produce for the six-month period was 175 million US dollars, which is 10% more than that generated during January-June 2004.

However Argentine shrimp exports dropped 65 million US dollars and totalled 62 million in the first half of 2005. (FIS/MP).-

Federal Fisheries Council sets maximum allowable catches for 2005

The Argentine Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) set 2005 total allowable catches (TACs) for several species to prevent overfishing and guarantee long-term stock preservation.

The resources mentioned in the CFP Resolution No. 3 of July 28 are hoki (Macruronus magellanicus); Argentine anchovy (Engraulis anchoita); common hake (Merluccius hubbsi); Southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis); tadpole codling (Salilota australis) and pink cusk-eel (Genypterus blacodes).

TACs were determined after assessing recommendations from the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) as to the present situation of each of these resources in Argentine waters plus resource conservation and sustainability.

TACs set for each species are as follows: Hoki, 200,000 tons; Tadpole codling 5,000 tons; Southern hake, 5,000 tons; Argentine anchovy, 59.000 tons; Pink cusk-eel 16,000 tons; Southern whiting 55,000 tons and common hake, 310.000 tons south of parallel 41o. S and 84.000 tons north of parallel 41o S.

CFP also set a number of supplementary management measures such as banning fishing in the area closed to common hake north of parallel 45° S during the species' breeding period which extends from October 1 to March 31. Additionally CFP banned operations in the common hake banned area south of parallel 45° S during the pink cusk-eel breeding period, from December 15 to March 15.

Finally, CFP members decided unanimously to request INIDEP define the geographical borders of the zone known as El Rincón, pertaining to the chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) fishery. (FIS/MP).-