GERENCIA DE DESARROLLO HUMANO SOCIAL Y

A commercial diving fishery targeting mostly scallops (Aequipecten tehuelchus) developed in San José Gulf (Chubut Province, Argentina) in the 1970s (Orensanz et

al., 2007). The San José Gulf is an oval-shaped basin (817 km2_{) with a mean depth of}

30 m, connected to the larger San Matías Gulf through a narrow mouth (Figure 3:A) (Amoroso et al., 2010). The fishery takes place within an ecologically sensitive area of special significance for conservation. The San José Gulf was declared a provincial marine park in 1974 and since 2001 it has been part of the Natural Protected Area Península Valdés, which comprises the whole peninsula and neighbouring coastal areas. The region was declared a Natural World Heritage Area by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999.

The fleet consists of 21  fibreglass boats, 8–10  m long , equipped with outboard or inboard motors, compressors and hookah; most operate with two divers. Boats are launched from sandy beaches with the help of tractors (Figure 3:G). The fishery involves about 80  people directly (crew members, boat owners, tractor drivers) and ≈150 people indirectly in processing plants.

The harvest of tehuelche scallops started as a boom-and-bust dredge fishery in the San Matías Gulf in late 1960s (Orensanz, Pascual and Fernández, 1991; Ciocco et al., 2005), to supply a demand created by a decline in scallop landings from the Georges Bank, Canada (Caddy and Lord, 1971). After four years of intensive dredging (1969– 1972), which unselectively removed scallops as well as the top shelly substrate on which spat settle, the fishery collapsed. A decade of virtually no recruitment followed. The San José Gulf suddenly became attractive for commercial dredging. The fisheries administration of Chubut Province, fearing that the story of the adjacent Río Negro Province would repeat itself in Chubut, banned dredging in San José Gulf for two years (1974–75) out of concerns about the impact of dredging on the grounds. Commercial diving was developed as an economically viable alternative in 1976 (Figure 3:F), and dredging has been effectively banned ever since (Orensanz et al., 2007). Although scallops have historically been the backbone of the fishery, other resources (mainly mussels and clams) have played an important complementary role allowing continuity and diversification of fishing activities.

The scallop diving fishery operated with minimum regulations (a size limit and a fishing season) for 20 years. The fleet expanded (to about 40 boats, many unlicensed) in the mid-1990s under a licence system that did not put a cap on effort (Figure 3:E) (Orensanz et al., 2007). The fishery collapsed in 1995, and remained closed for three years (Figure  3:D). After reopening in 1999, the provincial fisheries administration created a technical advisory committee with representation of the local fishers’ organization (Asociación de Pescadores Artesanales de Puerto Madryn [APAPM]), scientists from a federal institute (Centro Nacional Patagónico [CENPAT]), and staff from three government branches: fisheries, tourism and protected areas. The committee recommended the implementation of a limited-entry programme that privileged fishers with a history of participation in the fishery. A de facto moratorium has been in place since 2001, capping the number of boat permits at 21 (Figure 3:E and Table 5).

Permits are annual, renewable, non-transferable, and vested on boat owners. They grant exclusive privileges for extraction of molluscs by commercial diving within the gulf, where industrial fishing is not allowed. Each permit holder can own and

Rights-based management in Latin American fisheries

18

operate only one boat; the permit holders recruit their teams from a pool of divers and deck-hands who do not hold a permit. A provincial registry of artisanal fishers has been established to document participation of all crew members. Scallop harvests are currently regulated through a TAC, a minimum legal size (60 mm) and a season. Scallop surveys (Figure 3:A) are conducted annually with participation of fleet units, scientists and technical staff from the provincial fisheries administration. Results are discussed in joint meetings, and an annual TAC is agreed upon, which is divided up in equal shares among permit holders. While quota shares are formally non-transferable, in practice they are leased under a variety of ad hoc arrangements. The harvest of other resources (clams, mussels, snails, etc.) is virtually unregulated.

FIGURE 3

San José Gulf fisheries, Argentine Patagonia

Notes: (A) San José Gulf, showing the transects used in annual scallop surveys. (B) Detail of

the El Riacho tidal flats, showing the location of intertidal mussel beds. (C) One of the vehicles used to collect the catch from the flats. (D) Scallop landings from the diving fishery, 1970– 2011. (E) Number of boats participating in the scallop fishery. (F) Commercial diver harvesting scallops. (G) Fishing unit, including the tractor used to manoeuvre the boat on the beach.

Sources: (B) Santa Ana (2004); (C) L. Loto; (F) J. Signorelli; (G) P. Oroquieta. Los Palos, 82 ha La Restinga Enfrente, 73 ha O m O m El Riacho Los Palos, 82 ha La Restinga Enfrente, 73 ha O m O m El Riacho A B C F G 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 N u m be r o f l ic en s e d bo at s E 200 400 600 800 1 000 1 200 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Landi ngs ( ton nes ) D

Catch shares 19

A new comprehensive management plan was drafted based on input received from a series of meetings between managers, fishers and technical advisors. The plan was legally adopted at the end of 2011 and is yet to be implemented. Among the most controversial aspects during the drafting of the plan were the exit/entry rules of the limited-entry programme. Although the provincial Artisanal Fisheries Law passed in 2001 requires permit holders to be active fishers, this regulation was never enforced. This has been a source of conflict because, while some permit holders are inactive, some long-term divers who regularly participate in the fishery have been denied permits. The conditions to grant or deny permit renewals and to re-assign permits were established in the new plan. Recording of violations and documenting active participation of permit holders and crew members are still unresolved aspects in terms of implementation. Some novel mechanisms for involving peers in the documentation of participation by fishers were suggested. Weak enforcement of quotas and legitimacy of permit holders have been the most persistent problems in the management of the fishery.

TABLE 5