Photo: Revista Puerto/FIS

Excellent Catches and Lower Prices: Argentina's Shrimp Season Breaks Records Despite Price Crisis

ARGENTINA
Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 02:10 (GMT + 9)

The fleet mobilises in newly opened fishing areas after a successful survey, as the sector faces a scenario of low international prices.

The shrimp season in Argentine waters is progressing at an exceptional pace, with the fleet recording excellent catches of large commercial sizes both inside and outside the exclusion zone. According to Revista Puerto, the resource is found in very abundant concentrations, which has allowed freezer and fresh-fish vessels to achieve surprising daily yields.

Photo: courtesy CAPECA

The reactivation of the fishery occurred after a labour dispute that kept the freezer fleet inactive was resolved, but once at sea, the crustacean's abundance became evident. The satellite monitoring of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries records that 82 vessels with outrigger trawls are operating, many of them concentrated in Sub-area 8, adjacent to the recently surveyed Sub-areas 4 and 5.

Survey Results and New Openings

The Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) has played a crucial role in the campaign's development, authorising the opening of sub-areas 8, 12, and 14. Additionally, a survey was conducted in sub-areas 4 and 5, which, according to reports, yielded very positive results, with yields ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 kilos per hour and a high presence of large L1 sizes, with low bycatch of hake or juvenile shrimp. The fleet is preparing for the imminent opening of this northern sector, which will further expand the fishing zones.

Low Prices and Global Oversupply

Despite the success in catches, the industry faces a significant challenge in the commercial sphere. Sources such as Seafood Media point out that international shrimp prices are at their lowest levels in years due to the global oversupply of farmed shrimp (over 1.2 million tons). Although wild Patagonian shrimp has a high-quality market niche, its smaller sizes compete directly with the farmed product, which is offered at a significantly lower price.

Photo: courtesy Revista Puerto

Management Measures and Sustainability

In an effort to optimise the activity, the CFP has approved an exceptional measure for 2025: a tolerance of up to 20% incidental shrimp catch for fresh-fish trawler vessels operating outside the hake exclusion zone. This decision aims to take advantage of the resource's unusual presence and, at the same time, support work in processing plants, a key point that has been widely reported by local media outlets.

In summary, the shrimp season in Argentina is marked by a duality: while the abundance of the resource at sea is allowing for record catches and revitalising port activity in Patagonia, international prices pose a complex commercial outlook for the industry. The sustainability of the resource, meanwhile, remains a central theme in sector discussions.

Related News:

• SOMU Asks to Extend Shrimp Season While Catches Improve

• Labor Agreement Resolves Shrimp Conflict, Fleet Reactivated

• End of the Shirmp Crisis? Nationwide Sailor Pressure Accelerates Agreement with SOMU

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