Certifier : 
Organizacion Internacional Agropecuaria (OIA)
Certified status : 
Withdrawn
Certified since : 
22 May 2012
Certificate expires : 
04 Jan 2024

Overview

Fisheries are composed of one or more parts, each of which is entitled to receive an MSC certificate. These parts or “units” are defined by their target stock(s), fishing gear type(s) and if relevant vessel type(s), and the fishing fleets or groups of vessels.

When the term “Unit of Certification” is used for fishing units that are in assessment, it refers to the “Unit of Assessment” or “Unit of potential certification”. Expand a status below to view the parts that form this fishery. To check the detailed scope, download the latest certificate or open the Assessments page to get the latest report. Find out more by visiting our page on Fisheries

Units of Certification & Certificate Information

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Catch by Species

Species Reported Catch Year Metric Tonnes
Argentine hoki (Macruronus magellanicus) 2021 23,004

Information is provided by an independent Conformity Assessment Body as live weight (the weight of species at the time of catch, before processing) and where a fishing season covers multiple years, the end year is given as the reported catch year. Additional information is available in the latest report, see the assessments page.

About this Fishery

Hoki is widely distributed in the waters to the south of Argentina. It is caught by a number of fleets, most of which also target other species such as hake. The fish is usually frozen on board, and may be processed into surimi.

The freezer trawler fleet consists of vessels ranging from 29m to 118m operating bottom and semi-pelagic trawl nets.

The gear used is mainly the bottom trawl, but some vessels which specialize in hoki use semi-pelagic trawls. All trawl vessels in Argentina are required to have nets with a minimum mesh size of 120mm.

The fishery is currently working to improve scientific research into stock levels and possible impacts on the seabed, in order to ensure catch levels and management are sustainable in the long term. 

Argentine Hoki Macruronus magellanicus illustration © Scandinavian Fishing Year Book

Market Information

There is little consumption of hoki in Argentina, and most of the fish is exported. Some fishing vessels produce surimi on board which is mostly sold in Japan, although there is also a local surimi processing plant in Puerto Deseado.