The information was published this Monday by Pescare , one of the most important fishing information sites in Argentina; which reports that 88 Taiwanese and South Korean flag jigger boats and another 17 Spanish-flagged trawlers captured 142,680 tons of illex squid in the waters surrounding the Malvina Islands in the first segment of the 2024 summer-autumn season.
Of that total, the 17 Spanish trawlers based in the Galician port of Vigo achieved a catch of close to 59,000 tons. The remaining 84,000 correspond to what the Asian jiggers took.
At this rate of capture, the Spanish fleet will exceed the fishing it will carry out between August and October; 100,000 tons of squid per year. A figure that is a constant during the 35 years of plundering of Argentine resources that has been carried out since 1989, when the Argentine government of Carlos Saul Menem, enabled the British to expand fishing exploitation and oil exploration, through the disastrous Madrid Agreements. .
“Fishing in the waters surrounding the Malvinas is crucial to the local economy, generating between 50% and 60% of the islands' tax revenue. This year, the catches have been exceptional, with reports indicating that the first squid campaign has been the most successful since 1995, achieving half the annual average in one month. This is similar to what happened in the Argentine flag jigging fleet within the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone, where the first months of the year, particularly February, were especially fruitful in terms of size and volume of illex squid catches,” says Pescare . . And he adds: “Squid is the main resource exported from the Malvina Islands, with 90% of fishing exports directed to the European Union, especially through the port of Vigo in Galicia. Therefore, the commercial relationship with the EU is vital for the islands, and any change in commercial conditions, such as Brexit, could have a significant impact.
The first fishing season of 2023 recorded standard averages in line with previous years. However, the second season, which began in August, had to be closed prematurely due to a drastic decrease in the presence of this species.
