Version 1.1 Last update: December/2010; Further information at: www.teebweb.org 1 Conservation could save commercial fishery in Argentina Author: Sebastián Villasante (sebastian.villasante@usc.es ) Karl-Göran Mäler scholar, The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics and Stockholm Resilience Centre Short title: Better fishery management could significantly increase economic returns, Argentina. Key Message: In Argentina, the implementation of conservation strategies is needed to avoid the collapse of commercial fish stocks and the fishing industry. Conservation strategies, including zoning and compliance with catch quotas, are expected to help recover hake stocks and increase the net benefit for the fishing industry. Suggested citation: Villasante S. (2010) TEEB case: Better fishery management could significantly increase economic returns, Argentina, available at: TEEBweb.org. Reviewer: Marta Renzi, Juan Carlos Seijo What is the problem? The Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) fishery is the key to the fishing industry in Argentina. The Patagonian Marine Ecosystem (Map 1) is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and Argentine hake has ranked first in total catches for both volume and value during recent decades (Villasante and Sumaila, 2010). The Argentine hake fishery includes more than 50% of Argentinean fishing vessels and provides about 12,000 direct jobs (60% of total jobs in the fisheries sector). It has accounted for 40–50% of fisheries exports in recent years (Fundación Vida Silvestre, 2008). Dramatic overexploitation, however, of the fish stocks has had disastrous consequences for the local fishing industry. Due to overfishing, the fish size is decreasing and discards (mainly small juvenile fish) represent between 11% and 24% of total landings between 1990 and 1997 (Dato et al. 2006). In economic terms, this represents an annual loss of US$ 11–77 million (Villasante, pers. comm). The insufficient control and enforcement of fishing quotas and the liberalization and opening of the fishing grounds to foreign fleets (Godelman et al. 2000), largely through an access agreement between Argentina and the European Union (1993-1997), have contributed to this trend (Irusta et al. 2001). In response to the high percentage of juveniles in landings, a “no fishing zone” was created in 1997 to safeguard the nursery grounds around Isla Escondida. Bottom trawls are also forbidden inside the area. However, this has had little impact due to the lack of effective surveillance and control. The freezer fleet continued to concentrate around the limits of this zone and in 1999 the Federal Fisheries Council forced the freezer fleet to move to a zone of lower productivity (Hilborn et al. 2005). Since 1999, the Federal Fisheries Council sets an annual total allowable catch (TAC). This takes into account a maximum sustainable yield (determined by scientists of INIDEP, the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development). Lack of compliance, however,