Image: Revista Puerto / FIS

Common hake, kingclip, scallop, toothfish and others maximum catches

The Federal Fisheries Council issued technical reports to publicize the status of commercial species and capture recommendations for next year. Common hake, kingclip, scallop and toothfish among others.

Source: Revista Puerto

Since mid-October, the councilors have received technical reports from INIDEP in which the situation of a significant number of commercial species is described and capture recommendations are made for next year. All were respected, at least that is what emerges from the summary made by the directors in the last minutes. Some resources have shown signs of recovery, but others, such as longtail hake (Macruronus magellanicus), toothfish, kingclip and the northern stock of hubbsi hake, are in a situation that requires precautionary measures to be taken to try to improve their biological situation.

Argentine Hake (Merluccius hubbsi)

Source: INIDEP / FIS -->

For the southern area, INIDEP researchers have proposed that with the objective of sustaining the recovery of the reproductive biomass of this species in volume and composition, and of gradually approaching the objective of reaching 30% of the virgin spawning biomass , it is suggested that the Biologically Acceptable Catch for 2024 does not exceed 319,000 tons. Exactly that figure was what the counselors established as the Maximum Permissible Catch (CMP).

In the northern zone the situation is more complicated. All models estimated a strong decrease in abundance towards the years 1999-2000 and a certain stability, with slight oscillations, until 2012. From that year on, total and reproductive biomasses showed an increasing trend towards 2017, the year from of which marked differences are manifested in the evolution of biomass depending on each of the scenarios considered, that is, short, medium or long term.

Source: Revista Puerto

Due to the above, they recommended not exceeding 50,023 tons if the reproductive biomass is chosen to recover to 150,000 tons in the medium term, discounting the average catches declared by Argentina and Uruguay in said area between 2019 and 2022 from the recommended value, which results in a value of around 29,500 tons. In this case, the counselors also stuck to the maximum value suggested by INIDEP.

Kingclip (Genypterus blacodes)

<-- Source: INIDEP / FIS

INIDEP technical reports show that the reproductive biomass of the species remains below the Biological Target Point, although with a recovery trend. The researchers' recommendation was that by maintaining the ban on targeted fishing and reducing bycatch, a catch of 3,600 tons can be maintained by 2024. Exactly that figure was set by the CMP Council.

Patagonian cod (Salilota australis)

Source: INIDEP / FIS -->

Estimates of cash biomass showed a general decreasing trend for the periods 1987-2001 and 2008-2015, with a period of stability between 2002 and 2007, and a period of growth starting in 2016 that is maintained until current year. Therefore, biologists have considered that catches similar to those of the last years of the diagnostic period – close to 2,500 tons – and less than 6,600 tons, could be considered biologically safe for the 2024 annual period. The CMP set by the Council was 5,000 tons.

Southern Hake (Merluccius australis)

<-- Source: INIDEP / FIS

The report submitted by INIDEP indicates that the current state of the resource would be at the desirable reference point and that the catch for the year 2024 should be established between 176 and 1,327 tons, so that the reproductive biomass increase and remain at levels slightly higher than those corresponding to the management objective. The CMP set by the Council was 1,300 tons.

Southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis)

Source: INIDEP / FIS -->

The results showed a declining trend in abundance during most of the analyzed period (1992-2022), more pronounced starting in 1995. However, during the most recent years, a gradual recovery was observed that could be associated to the somewhat more favorable recruitments that occurred since 2011, and to the decrease in fishing effort, mainly during the spawning season. It is suggested that the capture value be maintained at the 28,000 tons set for the previous two years, which would allow the resource to remain within the biological reference points or be above them in the medium term. This figure was also set by the Council.

Longtail hake (Macruronus magellanicus)

<-- Source: INIDEP / FIS

It was detected that the cash would be below the biological reference points, so given the current situation of the resource, INIDEP considered that it would be appropriate to establish an extraction level based on the capture control rule. implemented in the fishery in order to have a tool that would allow estimating a catch under different stock sustainability situations. It was considered advisable to establish, as a maximum, a catch in the order of 25,000 tons and this was also established by the Federal Council.

Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides)

Source: INIDEP / FIS -->

For this resource, the period between 1980 and 2022 was analyzed. The final results indicated that the trends in biomass and reproductive biomass were, during the period considered, generally decreasing in all the scenarios considered. For this reason, a catch was recommended that does not exceed the level established in the latest evaluations, of 3,700 tons for the year 2024. Respecting the set limit, the councilors established that figure as a cap for catches.

Patagonian scallop (Zygochlamys patagonica)

<-- Source: INIDEP / FIS

For this species, maximum catches for each of the management units were established on a precautionary and provisional basis as recommended by INIDEP. For management units A and B, maximum catches of 1,520 tons for the first and 3,600 tons for the second were established for four months (until April 30).

For six months (until June 30) a catch of 2000 tons was recommended for both units D and E; 1000 tons for unit F; 2,609 for unit G and 1,000 tons for what has been called by the Council since 2020 as Area 1. For one year (until December 31), maximum catches of one thousand tons were set for unit H, for unit I and for unit J.

The councilors accurately maintained the recommendations made by the biologists and at the same time maintained until July 31, 2024 the prohibitions on scallop capture on the coordinates established in resolutions number 12 of 2022; 4 and 3 of 2023 issued by the Federal Fisheries Council.

Author: Karina Fernández | Revista Puerto (Translated from the original in Spanish)

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