Regarding the presidential debate, let's vote for whoever plans to manage the Argentine sea, where to date, no active policies have been implemented aimed at recovering the archipelagos and maritime spaces arrogantly occupied by the RUGB and successive governments have inappropriately dedicated to inviting that Kingdom to negotiate sovereignty. In short, a government that carries out a strategy to manage the Argentine sea and in this way isolate the RUGB, making it difficult and more expensive for it to remain in the region. Where fishing resources are managed properly and are not consequently underexploited, depredated and illegally captured; The naval industry has sufficient support from the State so that all merchant, river, oil, fishing, research and naval control vessels are manufactured in the country and, where the expansion, modernization and modernization of ports is promoted with the contribution private under state administration.
Summarizing, the following measures should be carried out, among others:
1. Capture of resources : increase the annual fishing catch by 45%, taking it from 794,000 tons landed in 2022 to 1,165,000 tons. Therefore, increasing the industrial workforce employed by 25%.
References : In the last decade, Argentina landed an average of 800 thousand tons/year. The expected increase in catches would originate from a) fishing agreements with the foreign fleet that fishes on the high seas (beyond 200 miles) migratory resources originating from the EEZ, with the elimination of taxes/fees on national vessels (does not affect the national treasury) that allows Argentina to initially keep at least 25% of those catches; that is, an estimated 125 thousand tons/year; b) industrialize the current suitable discards that, according to information from INIDEP; AGN; FAO, etc. have access to 30% of the catches, that is, an estimated 240 thousand tons/year; c) control of landings by improving the methodology (scanning) and the applied systems.
2. Aquaculture : in four years the current annual production of 2,592 tons (2020) should be brought to 400,000 tons and in ten years to 800,000 tons/year. The workforce would be doubled - at least - in the first four years. related to productive activity and its industrialization.
References : Total world fishing and aquaculture production (2020) reached 178 million tons, of which 42.2% originates from aquaculture/mariculture.While the landings of Argentine fishing catches reached 796,813 tons (2022), only 2,592 tons (0.33%) originate from Aquaculture. One of the low productions in Latin America, only above Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay.
3. Industrialization of discards : It is possible to use the 240,000 tons/year discarded (suitable for human consumption) by the national fleet and industrialize them. It is not ruled out that, due to the agreements with the foreign fleet, Argentina could become discards suitable for human consumption from these vessels, which could lead to doubling that figure. This would be possible through a guaranteed price for these catches. It is estimated that there will be a 35% increase in the labor force to be used.
References : These proteins will be used for a) social purposes, to provide essential amino acids to 3 million children/adolescents per day all year round; b) expand the market and, c) manufacture flour with 65% protein.
4. Domestic Consumption : Domestic consumption should increase by 100% within four years, taking it from 4.8 kg per capita/year to 10 kg. National consumption should be expected to triple in 10 years, optimizing marketing and contributing to improve the national diet and the health of Argentines.
References : While Argentina consumes 4.8 kg per capita/year of fish products, in Latin America and the Caribbean they consume double that (9.8 kg), in Africa 11 kg and in Europe 21.4 kg. This will be possible due to the greater availability of raw material, derived from the use of suitable discards, from aquaculture production; better management of existing resources; the promotion of virtues and improvement of the cost by the elimination of VAT.
5. Export : Argentine export of fishing products should go from 490,000 tons exported/2022 worth 1,823 million dollars in four years to 580,000 tons/year worth 3,000 million dollars, with an increase in added value and, in ten years to 800,000 tons worth 5 billion dollars.
References : The sum of industrial processing of aquaculture products; Capture in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and on the high seas will increase the export of fishery products directly to the shelves, through the necessary trade agreements.
6. Control of the territory, fishing and research and administration costs : The costs of administration, control and research should be prorated among the concessionaire companies, reforming the current distribution of the rights of the National Fisheries Fund (FONAPE) and reducing administration costs.
References : Since the fishing resource is the domain of the National State (beyond 12 miles), its concession involves the payment of a fee that will solve all the tasks of control, research and administration of the resource and, therefore, The distribution of FONAPE resources should be modified accordingly.
7. Sustainable catches : Sustainable exploitation should be guaranteed through the annual determination of the “maximum sustainable catch” and the application of closures, when appropriate. At the same time, all Marine Protected Areas should be repealed and INIDEP will transform them into permanent or temporary closures. in those cases necessary.
References : This maximum sustainable catch will be distributed among all interested companies that make investments and employ Argentine personnel, as indicated by the Law. The closed seasons have proven efficient in preserving the marine environment and its resources and this would be strengthened through improved control.
8. Administration : The administration of the resource should be optimized and made transparent and the fishing law should be reformed and an active policy on the exploitation of migratory resources originating in the EEZ on the high seas should be generated. Both projects are part of the aforementioned work ( César Lerena, “ One hundred actions and their effects to enhance fishing and recover the South Atlantic”, 2023) .
9. Ports : Law 24,093 on “Port Activities” should be reformed and, beyond the fact that the State could enter into agreements with Consortiums or even with national private companies to carry out issues related to beaconing; dredging; vessel support, towing, maneuvering and pilotage services; services relating to loading and unloading or mooring; construction and maintenance of shipyards; concentrator or distribution markets; storage tanks or cold rooms and all types of industrial and commercial operations related to the activity; logistical support transportation; travel services; premises of public departments of quality control, health, customs, etc.; in the case of agreements with foreign legal companies or with foreign participation; that could give rise to the use of ports by foreign ships; the provision of logistical services to them; or if they are ports located in areas in dispute or considered strategic, the authorizations should be the exclusive power of the National State and/or the National Congress, according to current legislation. In all cases, the general administration; defense and security issues; customs and immigration control; Navigation police and port security should be in the hands of the State.
References : While the British islanders based in the Malvinas are putting out to tender the construction of a 400-meter port, to replace the existing one, investing about 200 million dollars ( MercoPress, 7/10/2023 ), Argentina has not made the necessary investments in the 79 ports on the Paraná-Paraguay route and the 21 in the Southwestern Atlantic to ensure political sovereignty and Argentine national and international trade. See, on the contrary, the similar legislations of the Republics of Chile, Brazil and Uruguay.
10. The National Naval Industry . Adapt the Promotion Regime of the Argentine Naval Industry to allow all ships destined for merchant, oil, fishing and naval activity to be built in the country, allowing its sustainable development and the generation of dozens of thousands of qualified jobs; the technological transfer of design, construction and repair of ships and naval devices.
References : In Argentina, “the opening of offshore hydrocarbon exploitation and the development of natural gas in Vaca Muerta is presented as a unique historical opportunity for the National Naval Industry… The CAN-100 offshore block of the Northern Argentine Basin would have the capacity to produce 200 thousand barrels of oil per day, doubling YPF's current production, not to mention that YPF geologists estimate that there are several more deposits that could multiply the projected volume several times. In addition, the NK gas pipeline and the construction of two more, with port terminals in the south of Buenos Aires, would make it possible, within a period of ten years, to export 25 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually, which would require 465 methane tankers for its transport...In the year 2000 the naval industry Brazilian had 1,910 workers and in 2013 it exceeded 82,000” ( Fabian Lugarini, see his articles regarding Brazilian policy on the website: cesarlerena.com.ar ). To this we must add the renewal of the national fishing fleet and the increase in this due to the projected increase in catches and those destined for the merchant and river fleet.
As a result of the execution of the ten previous points and others (César Lerena , “ One hundred actions and their effects to enhance fishing and recover the South Atlantic”, 2023), Argentina could produce the most important action in its entire history on the administration of the South Atlantic and the exploitation of its marine resources .
Dr.
