The National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) is currently facing a storm that is not climatic, but rather one of wages and politics . Despite the research fleet achieving a record 443 days at sea in 2025, the organization is losing its most valuable asset: its people. According to recent data, a quarter of the crew has resigned or retired, driven by salaries that are practically poverty-level compared to the private sector.

A drip-flow drainage

Of the 65 crew members who historically ensured the success of scientific expeditions, only 46 to 48 remain today. The Ship Directorate, headed by Alejandro Latte , is forced to perform acrobatics to meet the research schedule. The reason is both mathematical and stark: an INIDEP sailor now earns between $1,000,000 and $1,300,000 pesos per month , figures that are surpassed even by informal work on land and are laughably low compared to the salaries of the commercial fleet.

The paradox of sovereignty

The situation is especially alarming given the pressure from foreign fishing within the 200-mile zone and in the waters surrounding the Malvina Islands. Without consistent research campaigns, Argentina loses the ability to:

1.   Determining catch quotas: Without accurate biomass data, there is a risk of overfishing or underutilizing the resource.

2.   Controlling predation: INIDEP is the scientific basis for denouncing the plundering of resources that belong to the national heritage.

3.   Sustaining the industry: Fishing exports contribute more than US$2 billion annually and support thousands of jobs.

Management against the state "wall"

Despite efforts with the Ministries of Economy, Labor, and Deregulation—the latter headed by Federico Sturzenegger—the responses have been evasive. There is a perception of systematic disregard for public sector employment and science, ignoring the fact that INIDEP is not an expense, but a strategic investment to prevent the collapse of one of the country's most profitable industries.

Although there is a verbal promise to hire 15 new crew members, the question remains: Who will want to take on the responsibility of navigating and operating highly complex technology for a salary that doesn't cover basic needs?

Without crew members, ships can't sail. Without ships, there's no science. And without science, the Argentine Sea is left at the mercy of outsiders who come to take what we, through administrative negligence, are failing to protect.