Fisheries

• Thursday, March 1st 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean scientists to record blue whales “conversations”

  

  Marine Biologists from Chile's Blue Whale Center (CBA) have embarked on a new project to record the noises made by endangered blue whales off the coast of southern Chile. They hope to use their recordings to identify individual whales and learn more about how whales communicate with each other.

• Wednesday, February 28th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Japan cuts short 2006/07 Antarctic whale hunt season

  

  Japanese whalers have officially called off their annual Antarctic whale hunt following a devastating fire aboard the fleet's mother ship. Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) has released a statement saying the whaling ships were on their way home early.

• Saturday, February 24th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Falklands Councillor voices human rights concerns

  As has been already reported in Penguin News, the Falkland Islands' (Malvinas) weekly newspaper, two crewmen are missing, presumed dead, after jumping into Stanley Harbour in an attempt to escape from a Taiwanese fishing boat, the Jih Da Gan. Eight companions were rescued by emergency services and have been helping local police with their enquiries.

• Friday, February 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Toothfish season hampered by ice

  Fifteen longliners fishing on the 3,000-tonne CCAMLR toothfish quota have all now left the fishery areas around Antarctica. Many vessels have experienced a season of difficult fishing conditions due to excessive ice.

• Thursday, February 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  The world's largest colossus squid fished in Antarctica

  

  An adult specimen of the world's largest known squid was hauled to the surface by a New Zealand longliner fishing for toothfish in Antarctic waters. The creature, known as a colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) and with eyes the size of a car tire weighed an estimated 450 kilograms.

• Wednesday, February 21st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean salmon and trout exports reach 2.2 billion in 2006

  Chilean salmon and trout exports in 2006 totaled 2.207 billion US dollars, up 28% over 2005 according to the Salmon Industry Association, (SalmonChile). United States was the main market for Chilean salmon and trout overtaking Japan.

• Tuesday, February 20th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Twelve Taiwanese crew members abandon ship in Falklands

  

  The Royal Falkland Islands Police is investigating the case of twelve crew members who abandoned a Taiwanese flagged fishing vessel anchored in Stanley Harbour.

• Thursday, February 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Four dead, 25 intoxicated in jigger accident in Montevideo

  

  Four crew members killed and 25 intoxicated including rescue workers was the final toll of an ammoniac escape/explosion on board a Korean jigger moored at the port of Montevideo.

• Thursday, February 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Slow beginning for Argentine squid season

  

  Argentine short fin squid (Illex argentinus) catches within the Argentine EEZ since the start of the season on February 1 are rather erratic and not very encouraging. Until last week only eight jiggers were operating in the area reports Pesca & Puertos website.

• Thursday, February 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Buenos Aires province licenses 50 fishing vessels

  A total 50 vessels, less than 28 meters long, for the first time have been licensed to catch off the bay of Samborombón, an area the province of Buenos Aires government claims to be under its jurisdiction based on the Uruguay/Argentina River Plate maritime agreement.