MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: TAC for southern blue whiting, hoki and Patagaonian toothfish

Landings of the three species so far this year have been lower than in 2008

Argentina’s Federal Fisheries Council, (CFP) has fixed the 2010 total allowable catch (TAC) for hoki (Macruronus magellanicus), Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) and southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) at 170,000, 2,500 and 60,000 tonnes, respectively.

However the volumes are provisional as biologically acceptable fishing levels are not known as yet. The data should be furnished by the national Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP).

“The objective is to facilitate the start of the seasons until the INIDEP assessment is made available” informed CFP. In any case, the Institute’s information will also be precarious as their research vessels were practically idle during the year due to labour conflicts.

The new norm governing individual transferable catch quotas (ITQs) for hoki, Patagonian toothfish and southern blue whiting will become effective 1 January 2010.

Meanwhile, the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries (MINAGRI) informed that 82,333.6 tons of hoki, 14,031.6 tons of southern blue whiting, and 1,258.7 tons of Patagonian toothfish were landed from 1 January to 10 December of this year. In the twelve months of 2008, the hoki landings totalled 110,267; 19,841.1 tons of southern blue whiting and 2,171.3 tons of Patagonian toothfish.

Last November, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, announced the implementation of the Fisheries Bill that stipulates individual transferable catch quotas (ITQs) of common hake ( Merluccius hubbsi) for 15 years, as of 2010.

The measure also governs another three species: hoki, Patagonian toothfish and southern blue whiting. The aim of the regulation is to offer predictability to sector companies and workers. (FIS/MP).-