MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina involved in juvenile Patagonian toothfish and grenadier research cruise

The main objective of the cruise is to be able to work out an estimate of the abundance of toothfish juveniles (less than 82 centimeters long)

Argentina's INIDEP, National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development has started an assessment cruise of Patagonian juvenile toothfish, (Dissostichus eleginoides) on board the commercial vessel “Centurion del Atlántico”, belonging to Estemar S.A.

The vessel left on the third week of September from Ushuaia and is surveying to the east of the Island of the States (Staten Islands) extreme south east of Tierra del Fuego, and has on board two INIDEP fisheries researchers responsible for the scientific task. Some twenty casts have been planned in specific geographic locations and with pre arranged time spans.

The main objective of the cruise is to be able to work out an estimate of the abundance of juveniles (less than 82 centimeters long) in the area of main concentration of the species. Reproductive and trophic patterns will also be analyzed during the duration of the tide, estimated in fifty days. Besides marking of specimens is another task to study migratory trends and structure of the stock.

On the sideline the benthonic fauna and specific composition of grenadiers catches, which accompany toothfish casts, are also part of the cruise research, with the purpose of complying with the Improved Fisheries Program.