Rollback in Argentina on the transfer of hake quota to the freezer fleet.

FISHING AND SHELLFISH Due to the strong rejection generated by the project to transfer part of the common hake (Merluccius hubbsi) quotas assigned to the fresh sector to the freezing fleet, the Federal Fisheries Council of Argentina has withdrawn it. This species is the main fishery resource of the country. Companies with Galician capital such as Argenova (Pescanova), Pesquera Deseado (Profand), Conarpesa (Wofco), and Iberconsa, participate in this business. The Argentine government justified its proposal because, according to its data, between 2010 and 2023, the fresh sector would have left uncaptured about 202,500 tons of this hake, while the operational needs of the freezers were greater than the quotas they initially had. Despite this, provincial governments, unions, and businessmen questioned the figures and warned about their impact on employment. The hake quotas currently in force were assigned in December 2024 and remain valid for 15 years. The official proposal suggested ...