MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine fisheries 2006 TAC for hake and hoki

Argentina's Federal Fisheries Council (CPF), following on scientific recommendations, established total allowable catches (TAC) for common hake, hoki, Patagonian toothfish and southern blue whiting.

TAC for hubbsi hake, Argentina's main catch was established at 385.000 tons for this year of which 309.400 tons south of parallel 41°S, and the rest, 75,600 tons, north of that parallel. This year's TAC is almost 2.5% lower than last year's 394.000 tons.

Hoki TAC was established at 200.000 tons, while Patagonian toothfish and southern blue whiting, 2.500 tons and 60.000 tons, respectively.

TAC levels for 2006 took into account technical recommendations from the Mar del Plata National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP), emphasizing sustainability and activities of fishing companies.

Official figures from Argentina's Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries ministry indicate that in the first half of this year common hake landings totalled 159.863 tons compares to 157.618 in the same period a year ago.

Similarly hoki landings reached 81.689 tons compared to 70.184 tons in the first half of 2005. Southern blue whiting totalled 18.962 tons in the first half of this year, below the 23.655 tons of the same period in 2005.

Finally the Patagonian toothfish catch in the first six months of this year was 480 tons, a considerable drop from the 871 tons of last year.(FIS)