Photo: Revista Puerto/FIS

SOMU Asks to Extend Shrimp Season While Catches Improve

ARGENTINA
Thursday, August 07, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Union requests extension of fishing season, but experts warn of the risk of ignoring the biological cycles of the resource.

With the start of the shrimp season and the arrival of the freezer fleet, the fishery is showing signs of recovery and good catches in the enabled sub-areas. However, the United Maritime Workers' Union (SOMU) is seeking to extend the season until December 1st, a proposal that, according to experts, ignores the biological cycles of the species and could put the resources at risk.

Left: freezer trawler and right: 'wet' fresh trawler (Photo: Revista Puerto)

According to Karina Fernández of Revista Puerto, freezer trawlers have already detected concentrations of shrimp in the northern zone, which could lead to a request for a new survey. Despite the limited data available, catches in other open sub-areas continue to be good, which has encouraged the SOMU leadership to ask the Federal Fisheries Council to extend the season.

Good Catches, but with a Shortage of Data

Currently, the boats are operating in the enabled sub-areas. In sub-areas 8 and 12, good shrimp catches are being maintained, with low levels of hake bycatch and predominantly L1 and L2 sizes. In sub-area 14, recently enabled, catches are also promising.

However, the lack of observers aboard the fresh-fish boats has limited the collection of precise data. This situation should improve with the arrival of the freezer fleet, which habitually works with observers and reports daily information to the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP). The experience of the freezer boats in catching this species is allowing for more constant and precise monitoring, which is crucial for the correct administration of the resource and to avoid precautionary closures due to a lack of information.

The Controversial Proposal from SOMU

According to statements from César Zapata, a SOMU leader in Puerto Madryn, the union has formally requested the Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) to extend the shrimp season until December 1st, arguing that they have political support to push for it. This initiative seeks to compensate for the loss of two months of the season for the crew members, a result of the union's failed negotiations.

However, the proposal has been criticized by experts. At the end of September, hake begins its natural reproductive cycle and moves into the no-fishing zone where shrimp are caught. Keeping the season open during this period would significantly increase the incidental catch of hake, exceeding the permitted 20% and forcing the closure of sub-areas.

While the situation in this atypical season could evolve differently due to lower initial fishing pressure, the final decision is not a political one. The extension of the season will depend exclusively on the biological situation of the resource, as determined by INIDEP. Extending fishing beyond the established period could compromise not only hake, a vital resource for the industry, but also the shrimp's own reproductive stage.

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