Argentina will study its fishing wealth in the south with British scientists and there is controversy

The National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) will officially launch today a fishery exploration campaign with the collaboration of British scientists. This announcement coincides with reports of a high concentration of foreign vessels fishing for squid in the EEZ.

INIDEP is an autarkic agency that reports to the secretariat of agribusiness. Its basic mission is to develop maritime research campaigns to study the stocks of the different species constituting the fish wealth of the sea of ​​Argentina.

The collected data allow to establish the different fishing quotas that the under-secretary badigns to the companies dedicated to the activity of extraction. In recent years, due to the different conflicts between the various unions in the sector and the direction of the entity, led by scientist Otto Whöler, the campaigns have not been conducted. For this reason, President Mauricio Macri ordered the intervention of INIDEP and appointed Rear Admiral retired Marcelo Lobosco. He is a soldier who, in his day, has other marine-related positions and active participation in the Pensar Foundation, thinking group PRO.

With the intervention, the government aims to regain control of what is happening with the wealth of the national fishery. However, the first campaign that will begin today has already sparked controversy between various organizations related to fishing activity, as Lobosco included two English scientists who will access all the data collected by Argentina.. This information will enable them to establish their own licensing policy in the Malvinas Islands.

The fishing research vessel "Víctor Angelescu"It is the most modern floating unit of the national state (including civilian and military vessels)." Built in Spain, in particular by order of INIDEP, it is equipped with sophisticated underwater detection and search systems that have been used even for the search of the ship. ARA submarine "San Juan".

As of today and for nearly 40 days, "Angelescu" will have the exclusive mission of relieving the existence of the precious Illex argentinus (squid), especially juvenile breeders that guarantee for the next harvest that the available stock remains in the appropriate values.

Any anomaly detected in terms of the quantity of available resources would result in a reduction of fishing quotas and possibly the declaration of closure of the species, until the existence of Illex argentinus is restored. . This is what is called "sustainable fishing".

Over the last 14 years, Argentina has stopped sharing scientific information with the British in the context of sovereignty claims pending resolution, which includes not only the Malvinas Islands, but also their territorial sea and their economic zone. .

According to Argentina's historical position, the Kelpers were not allowed to grant fishing licenses for fishery resources that did not belong to them. This concept has changed since 2016 and is currently in force in a fisheries cooperation agreement which, without entering the debate on territorial and maritime sovereignty, stipulates that the two "neighbors" will work together for the conservation of marine species to both economies.

Part of the controversy over this measure stems from the autonomy with which the kelp are granting fishing licenses, which implies the arrival of a large number of vessels which, taking advantage of the licenses granted by the British Government, Islands, go up waters totally foreign to the conflict of sovereignty and illegal fishing in the exclusive zone of Argentina.

Supporters of the agreement ensure that the presence of the British in the South Atlantic is inevitable and that it is much more reasonable to establish rules of peaceful coexistence instead of maintaining a hostile attitude .

In this context, all movements of Argentine military vessels or aircraft of a certain size in the region are previously reported to British forces (and vice versa) and information on naval activity search and rescue of people in the area is crossed. high seas (SAR).

According to recent estimates, the illegal fishing on the national territory amounts to 2 000 million dollars. The Navy Prefecture and the Argentine Navy carry out periodic inspections of the vessels in violation, but have few means to patrol a large area monitored by a furtive fleet.