MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay/Argentina agree to hake spring ban and limit annual catch to 50.000 tons

Hake is the main fisheries export item of both countries

Uruguay and Argentina agreed on a three months ban for the hake fisheries in the jointly shared maritime zone with the purpose of protecting juveniles and contribute to the conservation of the resource.

The “spring ban” agreed by the Maritime Front Joint Technical Commission which is made up of representatives from both countries became effective October first and will last ninety days until December 31st, according to the resolution published in the Official Gazette.

The resolution which targets “a rational exploitation of the resource” warns that not abiding by the norm will lead to the imposition of sanctions and fines.

Last July Argentina and Uruguay declared that the hake fisheries was in a “state of biological risk” in the shared maritime zone, and therefore agreed to limit catches to 50.000 tons annually.

They also agreed to abide by the same total match limit next year and to actively impede the over fishing of hake, among other measures adopted to protect the fisheries.

Last May Argentina imposed a ban on the hake fisheries along its coast as well as limits on squid given the excessive catches, according to the Fisheries Department in Buenos Aires.