MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine justice investigates collapse of hake fishery

An Argentine federal judge summoned hake fisheries management organizations following a claim from the Mar del Plata Fisheries Chamber, Capemar, which considers government resolutions “unconstitutional” and a contributing factor for the fishery's current critical state.

Federal Judge Alfredo Lopez summoned a hearing in the Federal Oral Court of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, and called representatives from the federal government, the Fisheries Chamber, fisheries institutions and organizations involved in the common hake (Merluccius hubsi)sustainability conflict. The purpose of the hearing, next May 22, is to "take advantage of the attendance of all parties involved in order to come to a solution that is satisfactory to all, in terms of resource, employment and activities conservation," explained Lopez. The federal judge is essentially looking into the alleged "unconstitutional, arbitrary, and illegitimate" government measures that have led to the "collapse" of common hake stocks, as claimed by Capemar. "It will be a key meeting for the case" said Lopez, Mar del Plata's main daily La Capitalreports. The resolutions in question are 675/04 and 65/07 issued the Argentine Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food (SAGP&A). "The truth is that they left us with no choice other than to go to court. We hope to reach an agreement, because times have turned tough," Capemar president Daniel Tunoni said. According to Capemar, these government resolutions allowed freezer vessels to operate north of parallel 48°, which led to a "depredation of the hubsi hake resource" and the "destruction of the fishery." Lopez said that at the hearing "all organisations can express their opinions and so achieve a full picture of the situation". He also invited Argentine Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Javier de Urquiza; Fisheries Deputy Secretary Gerardo Nieto; the head of the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP), Enrique Mizrahi; Leandro Despouy, head of the Argentine General Auditing Office; Mar del Plata Mayor Gustavo Pulti; and representatives of fisheries cooperatives, unions, and associations. Judge Lopez said his decision to summon all parties involved is out of consideration for the fact that a collapsed hake fishery would trigger a social-economic crisis in Mar del Plata. "If an agreement is not reached, we will move on to the provision of evidence offered, the relevant studies, so as to subsequently issue a ruling based on the elements I have at my disposal" the federal judge said. Tunoni warned that acts of violence such as those that took place at the Port of Mar del Plata in 2007 could again be repeated since vessels "have only one trip per month now as opposed to three in the past, which means a drastic drop in activity and incomes". "We knocked every door, visited mayors, governors, and even the President of Argentina, yet no-one paid us any attention. And that's how the violent incidents of 2007 erupted, with destruction of plant infrastructure, blocked highways and even people injured. We do not want that to happen again this year" Tunoni is quoted in La Capital..- Between January first and 8 May, 93,745.7 tons of common hake were landed in Argentine ports, compared to the 99,300.4 tons in the first four months of 2007, according to data released by SAGP&A; of total landings the Port of Mar del Plata, received 54,690.7 tons. (FIS/MP).-