MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine squid catches during January below 2018/19 averages

The 58-jigger fleet caught some 10.649 tons, with average catches during weeks 2 and 4, of 17 and 27 tons per day, below the 32 to 40 tons per day in 2018 and 2019.

The first report of squid catches from the Argentine season, south of parallel 44, indicate that daily averages were below those of similar seasons in 2018 and 2019. The INIDEP report, ”Argentine Squid, Season 2020, Report to 27 January (four weeks)” shows that the 58-jigger fleet caught some 10.649 tons, with average catches during weeks 2 and 4, of 17 and 27 tons per day, below the 32 to 40 tons per day in 2018 and 2019.

However the report also points out that the info provided by the satellite monitoring of the fleet indicates that another eight jiggers did not report any weekly catches.

Likewise it must be taken into account that the first days of the season vessels were exposed to very adverse and severe climate conditions. Some jiggers had to take refuge in Rawson and Comodoro Rivadavia.

Analyzed squid was of small size (199 mm length and 159 grams weight), mostly mature and in reproduction period, belonging to the summer spawning stock, says Inidep.

The jigger fleet activity concentrated between parallels 44 and 46 South and 62 West, with major catches in the quadrants 4463, 4563 and 4562, from where three quarters of the whole catch, 7.937 tons came.

Some 19 trawlers operating between January first and 27, lifted a catch of 56 tons of squid.

As to jiggers operating in Mile 201, the Inidep report indicates that in the area adjacent to Argentina's EEZ, south of parallel 44, some 81 vessels were seen operating as well as another 15 to the north of 44 South during week 3. However Inidep does not have catch reports from the foreign vessels.