MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Vessels leaving Vigo for the Falklands' Loligo season; Argentina reports good catches of Illex

An estimated forty jiggers are currently operating in the Argentine EEZ area, and another 20 are expected to join them in coming days

While the Spanish fleet of fishing vessels, many of them partners of Falkland Islands companies have started leaving Vigo for the South Atlantic to begin the Loligo season on 24 February, Argentine licensed jiggers operating south of parallel 44 have been catching some 25 tons per day per vessel of Illex, according to the first reports from Pescare.com.ar.

The size of the catch has been catalogued as double S and S (30%), similar to the beginning of the 2018 season. An estimated forty jiggers are currently operating in the area, and another 20 are expected to join them in coming days.

Last season almost half of the Argentine squid catch was landed in Mar del Plata, 58.303 tons out of 108.253 tons. Other data indicates that 68 Argentine flagged jiggers landed some 96.909 tons of squid which works out at an average of 17.94 tons per day per vessel. Trawlers contributed with 11.399 tons, of which 88% south of parallel 44, mainly January and February, 8.941 tons.