MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentines satisfied with this year's squid catches, “higher than expected”

Puerto Madryn landings reached 34.062 tons, equivalent to 29,68% of all squid landings in Argentine ports, which added to 114.713 tons.

Landings of squid in Puerto Madryn, Chubut province, Argentine Patagonia are higher than last year's and can be considered a “great success for fisheries and our province,” according to Diego Pérez, manager of the Madryn port.

An offcial report from the Under Secretariat of Aquatic and Fisheries Resources, to April 16, indicates that landings in the port of Madryn reached 34.062 tons, equivalent to 29,68% of all squid landings in Argentine ports, which added to 114.713 tons. This compares most favorably with 2023, when overall landings reached 33.32 tons.

Pérez underlined the support from Governor Ignacio Torres for the fisheries industry and the commitment from all actors involved which helped the season to be defined as “most successful”.

This atmosphere should also help with the shrimp season, another of Chubut's success story, with landings of Pleoticus muelleri in 2023, reaching 160.033 tons, equivalent to 79,9% of total Argentine landings, 200.237 tons.

Pérez also reported that the jiggers fleet is currently operating north of parallel 44o South in the north Patagonian stock, which has helped to check with 2022 numbers, when 37,834 tons where landed in Chubut ports compared to 167.107 for all of Argentina.

Business operators also pointed out that jiggers this season were unable to have the usual stats reports, since the research cruises from INIDEP, (National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development), such as BIP “Eduardo Holmberg” were unable to collect the needed stock data, because of the lack of funds to acquire engine spares.
According to official figures, good squid catches, with some 65 Argentine flagged jiggers operating have meant an almost 70% catches increase compared to the same period a year ago.

The report also points out that jigger operators in Falklands/Malvinas waters are considering the Loligo squid season, “satisfactory”, compared to last year's experience.

“By June 2023 Loligo catches in the Falklands had established a new record with 53.578 tons, but by September all changed. Biomass in water adjacent to the Islands dropped significantly, which forced the anticipated closure of the Loligo season.
The president of the Fishing Vessels Cooperative from Vigo, Javier Touza indicated that ”all points to catches above the 40,000 tons and even possibly 50,000 tons, given the last ten days of catches. It will then be a normal year, but not exceptional“

Currently some seventeen vessels are involved, with their operations base in Beiramar, Vigo, mostly mixed companies with legal addresses in Stanley.

”We have the expected numbers, current volumes of other years, with a sufficient biomass which makes us forget uncertainty. This season will also help us address it with guarantees since data from biologists confirm squid have had similar behavior to other average years. Scientific data is positive, our first challenge this season, was to ensure that the 2023 drop was over, or was it to have an incidence in this first 2024 season, but we have overcome that,” pointed out Touza.

Finally, Loligo catches from the Malvinas represent some 25% of sales in the EU, with the Vigo vessels playing a key role.