Photo: INIDEP/FIS

Unveiling the Future of Illex Squid: INIDEP Evaluates Recruitment in the Southwestern Atlantic

Crucial campaign aboard the Victor Angelescu seeks to dimension the new generation of Argentine squid between parallels 37°S and 44°S.

The National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) has launched a campaign of vital importance to evaluate the recruits of the Buenos Aires-North Patagonian stock of Argentine squid (Illex argentinus), a key initiative to understand the dynamics and ensure the sustainability of this significant fishery.

The research is being carried out aboard the oceanographic vessel Victor Angelescu, an essential platform that allows scientists to delve into the depths of the South Atlantic to carry out their crucial work.

Last Tuesday, April 1st, INIDEP formally initiated this transcendental campaign to evaluate the juveniles of the Buenos Aires-North Patagonian stock of Argentine squid, deploying the Oceanographic Fisheries Research Vessel (BIPO) Victor Angelescu in the extensive study area.

The primary objectives of this comprehensive scientific cruise are multiple and of great relevance for fisheries management: to confirm the spatial distribution and areas of greatest concentration of the Buenos Aires-North Patagonian stock of Argentine squid; to make a precise estimate of the biomass and abundance of said stock using the rigorous swept area methodology; and to confirm the presence, determine the geographical location, and quantify the relative abundance of the juveniles of the spring-spawning stock of the species.

Throughout 26 intense days of research on the high seas, the experienced scientists and technicians on board will also collect valuable biological samples of squid in order to deepen the knowledge of their population characteristics, including genetic, growth, and reproductive aspects. Additionally, they will dedicate themselves to characterizing the different ontogenetic stages and the abundance of the ichthyic community that cohabits this important oceanic region, and to recording fundamental environmental parameters such as water temperature and salinity. This meticulous data collection will allow for the elaboration of a detailed oceanographic diagnosis of the investigated area and, in this way, to analyze the complex and fundamental relationship between environmental conditions and the distribution, abundance, and recruitment of the Buenos Aires-North Patagonian stock.

It is important to highlight the vast extent of the research area, which encompasses the zone between parallels 37°S and 44°S, descending to the isobaths of 80 and 500 meters of depth. This current campaign is part of a long-standing series of investigations, whose first edition dates back to 1996. Its continuous and systematic execution is fundamental to obtain a precise estimate of the stock's recruitment, information that constitutes the basis for adequate monitoring and sustainable management of its evolution throughout each fishing season.

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