MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands: Loligo fishing season to open on 1 March

Following discussions with the fishing industry, the Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department has confirmed that the Loligo fishing season will begin on 1 March.

The season had originally been due to start on 23 February, but this was delayed last week following the results of the Fisheries Department usual pre-season scientific survey for the Loligo fishery, which took place between 5 and 20 February. The Loligo Producers Group had requested the delay to the start of the season.

The resultant biomass estimate was sufficient to allow the season to start but was the lowest for five years and just slightly below the median for the past twenty years.

The Fisheries Department will therefore be taking a cautious approach to its biomass modelling throughout the season, as the model is used to determine whether a season opens or is closed early.

The scientific survey also identified that Loligo sizes were smaller than normal, possibly due to a colder-than-usual winter last year. As a result, and following representations from industry, it was yesterday agreed to proceed with the start of the season on Saturday 1 March.

Both the Fisheries Department and industry remain concerned about the second season. It was agreed that catches towards the end of the first season would be closely monitored to manage the risk of any second season cohort being caught in the earlier stage of their lifecycle.

The Fisheries Department is also giving consideration to how water temperature data coverage can be improved, as this is a key determiner of the Loligo stock.