Argentine Squid Fishing Season Off to a Flying Start: 38 Tonnes Caught per Vessel per Day

The 2026 Argentine squid fishing season has made a brilliant start! As of January 22, the squid jigging fleet has achieved a cumulative catch of approximately 25,000 tonnes, with a daily average catch of 38 tonnes per vessel.

Of the 82 authorized fishing vessels, 74 have already set sail for operations. Some vessels saw their first-round catch exceed 700 tonnes, far surpassing the historical average for the same period.

This year, the fleet is mainly fishing for the summer spawning population on the central continental shelf between 44° and 46° South Latitude. Notably, the early fishing operation targeting the southern Patagonian squid population yielded a dismal harvest.

The 53 participating vessels only caught 158 kilograms, after which the fleet moved north quickly.

The squid unloaded ashore at present is graded S and SS, with a mantle length of about 20 centimeters and an average weight of 158 grams, and they are in the breeding stage.

This season has also set a new record for the deployment scale of scientific observers.

Nine observers inspect nearly 150 squid samples every day, record their growth indicators, and provide data support for commercial fishing.

Experts point out that illegal fishing has impacted the southern Patagonian squid population, but the impact on Argentina's domestic fishing fleet is limited. The fleet can switch to the summer spawning population with abundant resources, as well as the Buenos Aires-Northern Patagonian squid population that saw a 17-year high abundance in 2025.

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