MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine industry satisfied with first landings from the Illex squid season

According to Pescare jiggers are landing between 500 and 800 tons each

The first Argentine jiggers returning to the port of Mar del Plata to land their catches are reporting good volumes of Illex Argentinus and are eager to return to sea, according to the Argentine fisheries news magazine Pescare.

Two of the jiggers belonging to the Solimeno Group confirmed the good catches although pointing out that squid has moved further south than usual, as far as Puerto Deseado.

In Mar del Plata and Puerto Deseado according to Pescare, landing volumes range between 500 and 800 tons per jigger. In mid February the average daily catch was reported to be approximately 20 tons.

Furthermore, according to the same reports the size of squid caught varies between S and M, although the industry expects larger squid to begin appearing in coming days.

From the start of the 2011 season on February first, squid catches have been located in an area between 47° S and 63° W. Owners of 32 vessels operating in the region say volumes are satisfactory and are looking forward to even better catches.

Regarding the scientific cruise of the southern squid stock planned for early February, it was suspended because the overhaul of the “Eduardo Holmberg” research vessel is taking longer than expected.

Under the circumstances Argentina’s National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development, Inidep, has decided to include the South-Patagonia spawning stock and southern summer species in the survey that is scheduled for March, reports Revista Puerto.

The latest figures released by Argentina’s Fisheries Under Secretariat referred to January 2011 indicate that 681.1 tons of squid was caught, which is 75.4% less than in the first month of last year (2758.3 tons). (FIS, MP).-