Photo: Revista Puerto/FIS

Premature Closure: The 2025 Shrimp Season, the Worst in Over a Decade, Leaves a Bitter Taste for the Argentine Fleet

ARGENTINA
Monday, October 06, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

The Federal Fisheries Council ordered the total closure of the fishery by October 10, after a season marked by low catches and union conflict. Raw material scarcity and challenges for crew members paint a complex picture for 2026.

The Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) fishing season in national jurisdiction waters has come to an abrupt end, solidifying its position as the shortest and lowest-catch season in over a decade. The Federal Fisheries Council has decided to close the fishery starting at 0:00 hours on October 10, a measure that severely impacts the fleet and the entire value chain.

The 2025 season was marked by a delayed start due to a prolonged conflict with the crews, especially with the United Maritime Workers' Union (SOMU), which pushed the start back to August. This delay, coupled with a lower abundance of the resource, resulted in a total landing of just 138,000 tons, of which only 42,000 tons correspond to freezer trawlers. For this segment of the fleet, such low catches have not been seen since before the shrimp boom in 2012

Photo: courtesy Revista Puerto

Closure of Fishing Areas Due to Presence of Juvenile Hake

The closure decision was based on reports from the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP). After verifying that only in sub-areas 1 and 2 were the levels of Hubbsi hake as an accompanying species kept within the allowed 20% margins, the FFC resolved to close the Permanent Hake Juvenile Protection Area (AVPJM) for targeted shrimp fishing in all other sub-areas.

From 0:00 hours on October 2, the AVPJM was completely closed. This left only sub-areas 1 and 2 (outside the closed area) temporarily enabled. The suspension of fishing departures was extended until 0:00 hours on October 4, giving vessels one last opportunity to try and find shrimp in the northern zone. Finally, the total closure of commercial shrimp fishing in national jurisdiction waters was ordered for 19:00 hours on October 10, 2025.

Photo: courtesy Revista Puerto

Economic and Social Consequences

The premature conclusion of the season leaves crew members with barely two full months of work, forcing them to subsist until March or May of next year. While those with permanent employment relationships will at least receive a basic salary, the situation for relief workers is critical.

For companies, the scarcity of raw material in a context of high prices creates a dilemma. Although the price increase (expected to stabilize above $8 per kilo, a value higher than in recent years) is good news, failure to meet contracts with international clients can result in the loss of markets that took a long time and effort to open, and whose recovery will be complex.

Photo: courtesy Revista Puerto

The upcoming Conxemar fair, an important international event for the sector, will feature very little Argentine shrimp and high prices, which could influence global market dynamics.

The definitive resolution of the conflict with the seafarers is presented as the crucial issue to guarantee both employment for the crew members and merchandise for buyers in 2026. This year's fishery closure parameters, almost identical to previous seasons in terms of timing, demonstrate that despite a later start, the fishery could not be extended, refuting the "unusual requests from SOMU" to prolong the season until December. The combination of juvenile hake ingress and declining shrimp fishing yields were the determining factors for the final decision.

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