Whitemouth croaker, Micropogonias furnieri. (Photo: Claudio D. Timm / CC BY 2.0)
ARGENTINAFriday, December 19, 2014, 03:40 (GMT + 9)
The Joint Technical Commission for the Maritime Front (CTMFM) and the Administrative Commission of the River Plate validated the use of the whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) administrative reserve, amounting to 4,000 tonnes, equivalent to 10 per cent of the total allowable catch (TAC), which is 40,000 tonnes.
According to Resolution 4/14, this quota is likely to be caught in the area shared by Argentina and Uruguay, despite the few days left to finish 2014. However, it will be difficult to fish the amount defined.
The authority aims to give continuity to the fleet activity beyond the initial limit.
The ruling details, "Having analyzed the situation, both committees agree that socio-economic conditions in the fishery do recommend enabling the scheduled reserve".
The measure was taken in order to ensure the conservation and rational exploitation in waters under the jurisdiction of the Treaty of Rio de la Plata and its Maritime Front.
According to data published by Pescare, until 4 December Argentine ships had declared whitemouth croaker landings by 24,121 tonnes from the common fishing zone (CFZ) shared by both countries.
Meanwhile, Uruguayan vessels landed 14,838 tonnes of the resource.
Nevertheless, scientists at the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development(Inidep) stated that the actual stock would diminish if some conservation measures were not applied. Therefore, the possibility of imposing a ban on the reproductive area during the first quarter of 2015 is being evaluated.
This measure would be addressed at the next meeting of the Joint Technical Commission.