MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Twelve bare-boat chartered vessels cleared to fish squid

The Federal Fishery Council (CFP) authorised the submission of applications to register in the Special Register of Fishing Projects for the Argentine Shortfin Squid (Illex argentinus) Exploitation through the Location of Bare-boat Chartered Foreign Vessels in the National Jurisdictional Waters”.

According to the CFP Resolution 1/06, 12 bare-boat chartered squid jiggers have been authorised to join the fishery as as March.

The fishing permits will be valid for 12 months and the ship-owners will be bound to increase the percentage of their catch that is being processed on land, which today totals 30 per cent.

The CFP resolution also stipulates that the applications should be submitted to the Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Secretariat (SAGPyA) National Fishing Coordination Directorate, for a 10-day period.

The national fishing authorities consider that these vessels incorporation will not increase the fishing effort in the national fishing ground, since the fleet operating there is similar to the one used previously, which averaged 111 vessels.

So far, the squid fishing season to the south of parallel 44º S has demonstrated good results.

Some reports by local ship-owners indicate that the daily catches per vessel average around 20 tonnes of squid, since the beginning of the campaign 1 February.

All in all, the sector members and scientists are cautious regarding the future development of the fishing season.

Norma Brunetti, in charge of the Squid Project carried out by the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP), highlighted the fact that the resource is still going through a critical period, after two year of scarcity of the under Patagonian stock.

Meanwhile, the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA) reported that the Korean squid vessel 77-DOO-AN, arrested last week by an Argentine Navy unit, for having been allegedly fishing illegally, was carrying 32,600 kilograms of squid in its hold. (FIS)