First three weeks Illex squid catches in Argentina considered “encouraging”
Marcela Ivanovic, head of INIDEP’s Cephalopods’ Program
BIP “Victor Angelescu’ continues its scientific and research cruise
The Illex squid season in Argentina, taking into account catches of the three first seeks of 2026 can be considered, “encouraging”, according to Marcela Ivanovic, head of the Cephalopods’ Program from the Fisheries Research and Development Institute, INIDEP.
“We’ve already presented the first report up to 22 January 2026, and catches have reached 25.000 tons , with an average of 38 tons per day”, explained Ms Ivanovic, in reference to the 74 jiggers operating out of 82 licensed to fish in Argentina’s EEZ.
“The fleet is operating where it does every year, with the summer spawning stock, in the intermediate platform, between 44 and 46 latitude South”, added Ms Ivanovic together with Nicolas Prandoni, who will be heading the Cephalopods department.
However the abundance that the jigger fleet found north of the South Managed areas has been far from that of the sub-patagonic stock, which “we anticipated would be very poor, sadly very poor, 158 kilos, which frustrated the 53 jiggers that tried in the south”. In effect many vessels went South of 49 hoping to repeat the experience at the start of the 2025 season, when 18 jibbers managed 700 tons of high quality squid, but this year it was a disaster, and they headed north”.
“Squid being captured now is 20 centimeters long, 158 grams, mature and S and SS sizes,” added the INIDEP official pointing out that an increase in the number of scientific observers in the fleet will supply us with additional consolidated data, plus the fact that the different companies are complying with the rules, with weekly reports, meaning we have a good dialogue with the companies chamber”
As to the impact of foreign jigger fletes and ‘illegal, non declared’ fishing, “the largest impact has been on the sub-Patagonic stock, which was the main support of catches in the nineties and beginning of the two thousands.
“The abundance of that stock has diministhed, but has had a limited impact since there are other stocks along the Argentine shelf, particularly the north Patagonic stock, “which for 17 years did not record the 2025 abundance, and when the majority of catches are on this side”.
Meantime INIDEP’s BIP “Victor Angelescu’ continues its scientific and research cruise expected to last almost the whole of February in the 46/51 South sectors, at 100 to 500 isobaths, along the Patagonia shelf.
