Argentina Patagonian toothfish - bottom trawl

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Overview

The Argentine Patagonian toothfish FIP is being implemented by ESTREMAR, NUEVA PESCANOVA (ARGENOVA S.A.) and PESANTAR, with the technical support from CeDePesca.  The FIP aims to attain a certifiable status for the fishery against the MSC standard.

Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) is a long-lived species (> 50 years), which inhabits waters associated to the southern shelves and slopes of South America and around the sub-Antarctic islands of the Southern Ocean. There is no evidence of large-scale geographic migrations, and studies using genetics, biochemistry, parasite fauna, and tagging indicate a high degree of isolation between populations in the Indian Ocean, South Georgia, and the Patagonian Shelf.

In Argentina, the fishery is managed by the Fisheries Federal Council (Consejo Federal Pesquero, CFP) and the National Secretariat for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca de la Nación, SAGyP), while research and stock assessments are undertaken by the National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero, INIDEP).

The Argentine Patagonian toothfish fishery is subject to total allowable catches and individual transferable quotas issued by the CFP.  This FIP addresses the fishery carried out by the Argentine bottom-trawling fleet in waters south of parallel 52°S.

FIP Description 

The Argentine Patagonian toothfish FIP is being implemented by ESTREMAR, NUEVA PESCANOVA (ARGENOVA S.A.) and PESANTAR, with the technical support from CeDePesca.  The FIP aims to

FIP Objective(s) 

The ultimate objective of the Argentina Patagonian toothfish FIP is to achieve a certifiable status against the MSC standard by the end of March 2025.  To do so, the FIP has the following specific objectives:

  • To achieve the review of alternative hypothesis regarding the stock’s identity. If the stock identity changes, then achieve the review of the current harvest strategy.
  • To make sure that the appropriateness of the current target reference point is reviewed.
  • To achieve the adoption of explicit harvest control rules.
  • To collect additional data on the impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem.
  • To conduct risk analyses for those ecosystem components that cannot be quantitatively assessed.
  • To ensure the periodic evaluation of the performance of the fishery management system against its objectives.
  • To gather information on the operation and performance of the sanction system.
FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
April 2021
March 2025
Next Progress Report Due 
Friday, February 28, 2025
Species 
Common Name 
Patagonian Toothfish
Scientific Name
Dissostichus eleginoides
Gear Type 
Bottom Trawl
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 41 (Atlantic, Southwest)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Argentina
Geographic Scope 
south of parallel 52°S
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
3,589 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
3,625 metric tons
Landings Date 
December 2022
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
April 01, 2021
21% 46% 32%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

C Some Recent Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Feb 2025
Target End Date
Mar 2025

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
CeDePesca
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Ángel DIAZ LUGO
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
15414