MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: 2005 fisheries landings total 843,357 tons

Preliminary figures provided by the Argetnine National Fishing Coordination Directorate tally the January-December 2005 period fishing landings at 843,357 tonnes. Should final results confirm these figures, they would demonstrate slightly lower numbers than 2004, when total landings reached 873,100.2 tonnes, according to the statistics by the Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Secretariat (SAGPyA).

Common hake (Merluccius hubbsi) registered the highest catches in 2005 with 357,000 tonnes, or 10 per cent less than the total allowable catch (TAC) set by the national Undersecretary of Fishery.

The figures used by the National Fishing Coordination Directorate indicate that south of parallel 41° S, catches were around 292,000 tonnes, while little more than 62,000 tonnes were extracted to the north of the same parallel.

Moreover, reports provided by vessel owners account catches of around 3,000 tonnes of juvenile specimens.

Common hake total catches in 2005 and 2004, which totalled 412,438.2 tonnes, demonstrate a significant decline, mainly due to a union and wage conflict that affected the fishing sector and generated a 70-day strike.

Mar del Plata landed around 209,000 tonnes of hake. Although this landing is similar to that from 2003, it represents a 20 per cent fall in comparison to 2004's.

Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus) landings were up on 2004. Landings between 2005 January and December totalled 145,000 tonnes, against the 76,485.4 tonnes landed one year ago, according to SAGPyA.

Argentine anchovy (Engraulis anchoita) landings totalled 33,000 tonnes, a volume that demonstrates a 10 per cent drop in comparison to 2004 landings of 37,266.2 tonnes. (FIS)