Argentine shortfin squid

There is not enough data to indicate whether this stock is a healthy size. It has been subject to overfishing. Therefore, we consider there to be concern for both fishing pressure and biomass.Route 2 scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the uncertainty of the data and the lack of a reference point for biomass. Argentine shortfin squid is considered to have high resilience, as it has a minimum population doubling time of less than 15 months.There are 4 sub-stocks of Argentine shortfin squid:Summer Spawning Stock (SSS)South Patagonian Stock (SPS)Bonaerense-North Patagonian Stock (BNPS)Spring Spawning Stock (SpSS)The first two stocks are considered to be the most important to the fishery. This rating is for the Summer Spawning Stock (SSS).SSS is mainly found in Argentine waters. Assessments are carried out by Argentina's National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP). The most recent report is from 2022, using data from 2021 and early 2022.Surveys were carried out in 2022, but appeared to catch this stock at the end of its life cycle, and therefore were not considered to be indicative of biomass. Therefore, there is no direct estimate of stock size.The squid fishery is split into two management units (MUs): north and south. The total catch of Argentine shortfin squid in 2021 (all stocks combined) was an estimated 530,013t. Of this, 451,033t (85%) were from the southern MU. In 2020 and 2021, most southern MU catches were from SSS. The southern MU therefore appears to represent the bulk of the stock, and may therefore indicate SSS biomass.The biomass of recruits (young squid entering the fishery) for the Southern Management Unit at the beginning of 2022 was estimated at 169,006 t. This far below years of high abundance, such as 2007 (639,329t) or 2014 (407,274t) but above the previous estimate made in 2019 (144,202t). INIDEP concludes that this is a low abundance value, similar to 2019. However, squid populations fluctuate significantly, and are very responsive to changing environmental conditions. Therefore, a low abundance does not necessarily indicate concern for the stock. No reference points, indicators, or proxies have been set by INIDEP to indicate what a healthy stock size would look like. We consider there to be concern for biomass because there is not enough information to determine the health of this stock.Assessing fishing mortality of Argentine shortfin squid is difficult. Catches per unit of effort (CPUE) are available. However, CPUEs will change based on where the squid have migrated to in response to oceanographic conditions. Likewise, catches vary depending on squid stock size and availability, so high catches are not necessarily indicative of high fishing pressure.An escapement target of 40% has been set by INIDEP, indicating that at least 40% of the squid stock should remain after the fishing season to allow for spawning. This requires a pre- and post-season stock survey. Escapement after the 2021 fishing season was estimated at 33-35%. This is below the target, indicating that overfishing had taken place. Therefore, we consider there to be concern for fishing pressure.On average, it is estimated that around 45% of annual catches of this species have been from the high seas (beyond the Argentine and Falklands EEZs) over the last decade, although it is unclear which stocks this would include. The high seas fishery is poorly regulated, and there is very limited information on catch and effort. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing takes place here. INIDEP considers this to be a potential threat to the sustainability of this fishery. In 2021, of the total catch of 530,013t, high seas catch was estimated at 220,000t.

There are no appropriate management measures in place for Argentine shortfin squid caught in international waters. Unregulated fishing is of significant concern. This fishery is responsible for around half of the catches of this species, and threatens the sustainability of the stock.The Argentine shortfin squid fishery is the second largest squid fishery in the world, although catches are very variable. It operates in Argentina, the Falkland Islands, and in international waters (aka High Seas), and is accessed by distant water fishing fleets including Europe Union, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and China. On average, it is estimated that around 45% of annual catches of this species have been from the high seas over the last decade.Argentina's fisheries research institute, INIDEP, considers the high seas fishery to be a potential threat to the sustainability of Argentine shortfin squid. INIDEP estimates that in 2021, of a total Argentine shortfin squid catch of 530,013t, an estimated 220,000t was from the high seas.There is no management organisation responsible for controlling or monitoring Argentine shortfin squid fishing outside of national waters. The high seas fishery is poorly regulated, and there is very limited information on catch and effort. China introduced some measures for its distant water fleets in 2020 to address concerns, but illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing continues. There are also incidences of Chinese, Spanish and South Korean vessels turning off safety tracking systems (AIS). Any fishing activity by vessels with AIS switched off cannot be tracked, and may have been taking place illegally within Argentine waters. Between 2018 and 2021, these vessels were untraceable for a combined 600,000 hours.

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