Crewmen on board the New Polar, jointly owned by Seaview and Polar Ltd, loading catches of loligo. (Photo: Mercopress)

Loligo season best in 10 years

FALKLAND ISLANDS
Friday, April 16, 2010, 23:10 (GMT + 9)

The first loligo season of the year ended on Wednesday and has been the best in a decade. Catches over the last seven weeks surpassed 28,000 tonnes.

“There’s been good-quality squid and plenty of it,” said Alex Reid of logistics company Seaview.

In contrast, the 2009 loligo season closed early due to especially poor catches of just 13,000 tonnes. Fishing companies hope that when the 2010 season loligo enters the market it will fetch a good prices, as it will not have to compete with large quantities of this squid still in cold storage from earlier seasons.

Although companies usually try to sell the earliest caught fish first, Tom Blake of seafood processor RBC Ltd said it is not unusual for loligo to remain in cold storage for up 18 months, reports Penguin News.

The final loligo shipment of Beauchêne Fishing will be containerised in Stanley this weekend. It is Beauchêne’s third such transhipment of the season. 

Most trawlers have already either began fishing other species or are travelling for lay-up in Montevideo or Vigo. Although the second 2010 loligo season starts on 15 July, it is tricky to gauge the level of availability of the squid, according to Director of Natural Resources John Barton.

Certain prediction models based on water temperature and other variables are available but unreliable, said Barton. The Fisheries Department is expected to conduct a pre-season survey cruise in early July to allow for a better assessment.

Illex season has not been nearly as fruitful. There are over two months left in the season, but already some of the about 75 or so vessels have left the illex zone and more are anticipated to follow to navigate toward other fisheries or return home, said Barton.

Early in the season experts believed catches would be normal. Yet, up through the beginning of last week, 11,500 tonnes were reported caught.

In comparison, good seasons yield 100,000 to 150,000 tonnes, Barton told.

Because of current licensing rules for the Falklands biggest value catch, Barton said there will inevitably be some refunding for illex licenses -- which will adversely impact the Falkland Islands Government.

He acknowledged the possibility that knowing that refunds would be made due to poor catch levels might tempt vessels to lie and report smaller catch quantities than they had actually fished.

Still, the Fisheries Department has tried to compensate for low observer cover on jiggers by getting on as many vessels as possible to conduct inspections at sea. The Department found much lower transhipment activity than would be normal in a favourable or average year. 

Related articles:

- Argentina accused of affecting squid fishery
- Squidding takes place onshore

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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