Squid Fishing Has Dried Up in Northern Argentina, And Squid Fishing Boats Are Beginning To Withdraw

The Argentine squid fishing season has suddenly cooled down. After the opening of fishing grounds north of 44°S latitude, the market initially expected a surge in catches, but actual catches have fallen significantly short of expectations. Latest industry information shows that catches per fishing vessel are low, and some vessels have begun to withdraw from the fishing area. Concerns about the downstream resource supply chain in the Argentine squid industry are growing.

Feedback from frontline fishing fleets indicates that large schools of squid have yet to appear in the northern waters, with many vessels catching only small quantities for several consecutive days. Ship owners and captains report that detection equipment is struggling to find effective fish signals, making it difficult for fishing vessels to pinpoint the location of sustainable schools of squid. Some vessels have already moved to Mar del Plata and de Ceado, while some ship owners have chosen to cease operations altogether, waiting for resource conditions to improve before deciding whether to resume operations.

The current problem isn't just low catches, but more importantly, a lack of commercially viable squid sizes. Fleet feedback indicates that even where resources are present in the northern waters, many are juveniles, making it difficult to create ideal conditions for commercial operations. This has directly disrupted the fleet's original operational schedule and made subsequent management measures more crucial.

In terms of total volume, the first half of the 2026 Argentine squid season remains strong. As of April 15th, cumulative unloading reached 174,296.6 tons, including 49,015.9 tons in January, 72,439.5 tons in February, and 48,156.5 tons in March. This means that in just over three months, the fleet's cumulative catch has already approached the 2025 total of 203,956 tons. Last year's figure was already a 17-year high.

The problem lies in the inconsistent resource performance between the north and south. Production south of 44°S was significantly higher than the previous year in the early stages, but the newly opened fishing grounds in the north have not kept pace. At industry monitoring meetings, relevant parties have listed the insufficient resources in the north as a key issue. The Argentine National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) also stated at its latest meeting that the results of the research vessel survey will be released soon, followed by technical recommendations. Currently, a more likely option is a phased suspension of operations for a period of time, rather than an immediate and complete closure of the 2026 Argentine squid (Illex argentinus) fishing season.

For the market, this change will directly affect subsequent supply expectations. Argentina's production in the early stages of this season has already established a high base, but if the northern waters cannot effectively replace this, the increase in supply in the later stages will be limited. For processors and buyers, the focus now is not on whether cumulative production can continue to rise, but rather on whether northern resources recover, whether the suspension window is implemented, and to what extent official technical recommendations will reduce the pace of operations.

At the regional level, squid fishing in the jointly managed waters of Argentina and Uruguay officially opened on April 1st. The Argentina-Uruguay Joint Technical Committee on Maritime Frontiers has approved targeted fishing for slippery squid in the joint fishing zone. Based on 2025 data, Argentina is projected to catch 5,270 tons in this area, while Uruguay is expected to catch 5,538 tons, with both countries' yields being roughly equal, primarily concentrated in the April-June fishing window. Although the joint fishing zone has opened normally this year, resources in northern Argentine waters have yet to improve, and fleets are now spending more time searching for fish than loading them.