Argentina's Chubut red shrimp exploratory survey shows uneven progress; 16 coastal vessels and 4 artisanal boats concentrate in northern waters
The Chubut provincial fisheries department launched the 2026/2027 red shrimp exploratory survey on October 26; the first round in the south yielded few shrimp and high hake bycatch, prompting the fleet to move north early. Provincial Fisheries Secretary Brandán said some vessels had good catches, and final season-opening conditions will be determined based on that day's data.
Since the red shrimp (langostino) exploratory survey in Argentina's Chubut provincial waters began on October 26, fleet catch performance has varied markedly: shrimp size and commercial quality have been recognized, but yields differ greatly among vessels. Provincial Fisheries Secretary Diego Brandán told Pescare on October 28 that he would wait for that day's results before deciding, saying "yesterday the situation in the north was fairly average, and some boats had good catches."
The survey is organized under Resolution 628/2026-SP (Resolución 628/2026-SP), deploying 16 coastal vessels and 4 artisanal boats. Early operations in southern waters recorded very few red shrimp and a relatively high hake bycatch, so the fleet moved north ahead of schedule. According to instructions conveyed to the maritime authority, operations are concentrated in the northern area (Área Norte) between 43°00′ and 43°30′ south latitude.
A captain participating in the survey told Pescare that large schools of red shrimp have not yet entered the assessment area. "As long as there are shrimp, the quality is very good, which reassures us, but the volumes we are used to in past years have not come in yet, as far as we can see. We were near AIER and had to move about 8 nautical miles toward shore to find a small patch of shrimp." The captain's identity was not disclosed. On October 27, the best known single haul was 150 boxes, while other vessels needed multiple hauls to accumulate about 300 boxes over the full day. The captain believes the resource may be starting to appear from the north, and expressed reservations about whether the current shrimp schools can support the operation of about 90 vessels; this judgment still needs to be compared with technical records from the entire fleet.
Estimates previously conveyed by Brandán indicate that about 90 vessels may be involved this season, with their operations supporting raw material supply for processing plants as well as the work of crew members, stevedores, transport and port services. On the market side, Gustavo González, president of the Chubut Yellow Fleet Chamber (Cámara de la Flota Amarilla del Chubut), warned on October 8 that more than 40,000 tonnes of red shrimp from the national season remain unsold, and prices are struggling to keep up with rising costs.
The provincial fisheries authority will analyze catch per unit effort (CPUE), size composition and the proportion of hake present (very low in the north) to determine whether commercial fishing is viable. The Chubut fisheries authority maintains a joint working mechanism with the Chubut Yellow Fleet Chamber (CAFACh), union organizations and other actors to coordinate operational and labor matters.
Records obtained that day will be used to clarify resource availability and guide the next steps for the season, which involves fleet scheduling, port operations and industrial production in Rawson.
Separately, according to the General Administration of Customs' August 2026 import and export statistics, under HS 0306.17 there are two sets of records for warm-water shrimp imports (penaeid shrimp, including whiteleg shrimp and black tiger shrimp, etc.): import volume 91,821.925 tonnes, import value USD 435,220,666.0, average import price USD 4,739.83/tonne; the other set of records shows import value USD 414,388,318.0 and average import price USD 4,623.51/tonne. The above are import statistics under the customs commodity classification and cannot be used as catch volumes, aquaculture production or market spot prices.