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Photo: Revista Puerto/FIS
Fishing Activity Resumes! After Agreement with SOMU, the Chubut Fleet Sets Sail for Shrimp Prospecting
ARGENTINA
Monday, November 03, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)
Collective Bargaining Agreement Unlocks Conflict: Puerto Rawson Season Expected to Open on Tuesday, November 4
On Friday, October 31, the fleet of 20 ships (comprised of 16 from the yellow fleet and 4 artisanal vessels) finally began the Argentine Red Shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) survey and prospecting operations in the provincial waters of Chubut. This operation is being carried out in two zones (south and north) to monitor the resource during four effective days of fishing, with the expectation that the fishing season in Puerto Rawson will be formally opened Tomorrow, Tuesday 4, as reported by Revista Puerto.
Photo: Revista Puerto
End of Conflict with SOMU
Thousands of workers dependent on Chubut's fishing industry received with relief the resolution of the controversy held by the United Maritime Workers' Union (SOMU) with the yellow fleet, which had delayed the start of fishing operations.
After weeks of postponements and an initial rejection of the wage offers, the agreement was sealed last Tuesday, with the signing of the collective bargaining agreement valid until March 2026. The SOMU sailors accepted a value equivalent to 1,250 pesos per kilo of shrimp for salary calculations, the same value previously agreed upon by other maritime unions (Association of Captains, Union of Naval Conductors, and the Center of Fishing Skippers).
Photo: Revista Puerto
The acceptance on Tuesday occurred with no room for negotiation, after the union had dismissed a better offer of 1,300 pesos the previous week, on Friday, October 24. The situation had become critical, as SOMU members lost a large part of the previous season in national waters, and other maritime, temporary, and seasonal workers were also waiting for this agreement to activate their income.
Economic Reactivation and State Agreement
With the resumption of activity, a great spillover effect is expected in the local economy of Rawson, given the high dependence of Chubut's capital city on the fishing industry. The entry of the nearly one hundred authorized vessels into the fishing grounds will reactivate port activity, stevedoring, transport, logistics, suppliers, and ensure processing plants have raw material to work with.
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Photo: Revista Puerto
Furthermore, last Monday, another relevant agreement was signed. The Government of Chubut and the state unions ATE and UPCN reached a wage adjustment for the ‘onboard observers’ (personnel dependent on the Secretary of Fisheries). The agreement established an increase in the "sea day" bonus, raising it from 27% to 52% of the corresponding category for the observers and the general coordinator, with a retroactive effect to October 2025.
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