Argentina Hoki
Last Updated: 25th January 2010
Number of fisheries: 1
Species
Hoki (Macruronus magellanicus)
MSC assessment status
The certification body, Ogranización Internacional Agropecuaria (OIA), has announced that the Argentina Hoki fishery has entered full assessment. Initially OIA seeks to open a dialogue with all organisations or individuals with a direct interest in the fishery.
Anyone wishing to provide comments or information to the assessment process (relevant to the status of the stock, ecosystem interactions or fishery management practices) is invited to contact Dr. R. Peter Pottinger.
Please refer to the assessment downloads section for further information.
Fishery location
South West Atlantic, within the Argentine Territorial waters (FAO statistical area 41)
Fishing method
Industrial bottom trawl net and Industrial semi-pelagic trawl net.
Fishery management
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Fisheries dependencies (Sub-secretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture), and the Federal Fisheries Council (CFP)
Commercial market
Products derived from these fisheries are not widely distributed in Argentina whjere there is little consumption of Hoki, Most of the production is exported. A few supermarkets offer a sub-product called kanikama in the local market. Some fishing vessels produce surimi on board which is mostly sold in Japan; although a local sirimi processing plant in Puerto Deseado produces crab imitation.
Assessment timeline
The assessment process is expected to take 12 months and is scheduled for completion around 30th December 2010. Please see the download section for a detailed assessment timeline.
The target eligibility date for these fisheries is the 1st March 2010.
The MSC ecolabel can only be applied to product from certified fisheries. The MSC program does allow, in certain circumstances and within strict traceability requirements, the MSC ecolabel to be applied following certification to product caught before the actual date of certification. The target eligibility date therefore represents the date from which products may become eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel, however they cannot be sold until and if the fishery is certified. The actual eligibility date will be determined if the fishery is certified to the MSC standard.
To find out more about when fish from this fishery may be sold with the MSC ecolabel, please follow this link (http://www.msc.org/get-certified/supply-chain/eligibility-dates).
Tonnage of the fishery
The 2008 landings of hoki was 110,267 mt.
