MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine hake landings total 210.00 tons

Hake (merluccis hubbsi) landings during the first eight months of 2005 in Argentina totalled 210.00 tons, most of which, 155.000 tons caught south of parallel 41 and the rest to the north, according to the latest report from Argentine Fisheries Department.

Total Allowable Catch for the 2005 season was established by the Federal Fisheries Council in 394.000 tons.

Next year's TAC will be established following the assessment of data collected by the Argentine scientific research vessel "Eduardo Holmberg" during its second hake cruise which last week returned to Mar del Plata. The assessment will be done by the Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Inidep.

Hake fisheries management and recovery concerns Argentine scientists who in the late nineties, early 2000 in spite of repeated warnings had to witness over extraction, and the almost collapse of the fishery.

"Eduardo Holmberg" research cruise was done in two stages in an area between parallels 34 and 48 South following seabed lines heights ranging between 50 and 400 metres.

Apparently primary readings of tests catches showed a decline in the number of class 1 and 2 sizes which have not reached maturity and therefore could imperil a sustained biomass for the following seasons.

"This is of concern, but Inidep has targeted a long term gradual recovery of the hake fisheries so we should face no major surprises if catches remain in the current levels", said Marcelo Perez a biologist from the Mar del Plata research institute.

Current Argentine fisheries officials are committed to this long term policy, and have repeatedly said so, according to Mr. Perez.