Puerto Madryn Sets All-Time Record with 186,900 Tonnes Landed in First Nine Months, Promotes Port in Vigo and Advances Argentina's First FAO "Blue Port"

Puerto Madryn in Chubut Province, Argentina, has set a new all-time record for fisheries landings in the first nine months of this year. Martín Liendo, operations director of the Puerto Madryn Port Administration (APPM), presented this growth to attendees during the 27th Conxemar International Frozen Seafood Exhibition in Vigo, Spain.

According to APPM data, a cumulative 186,862 tonnes were landed at Puerto Madryn's docks between January 1 and September 29, far surpassing the previous highest annual record — 156,907 tonnes for the whole of 2024. Liendo said the figure reflects strong growth in Puerto Madryn's fisheries landings and also reflects export flows of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods.

The Conxemar exhibition in Vigo is where most of Puerto Madryn's fisheries clients gather. "All the companies exhibiting at the Argentina stand are our clients, we have met with all of them, and we are also in contact with shipping lines, including Maersk, MCC and Wan, with the goal of continuing to consolidate our port's service and operational fluidity," Liendo said.

Two peaks: squid and red shrimp

The sustained growth in landings places demands on port infrastructure and logistics, and the port must prepare for two peak periods each year. The first is the squid season, which has seen bottlenecks due to the number of vessels entering port and the storage of exported squid containers; the second is the red shrimp season in national waters, when activity is most concentrated at the Almirante Storni and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena docks, the latter being used for frozen product landings when the fishing-zone berths are at full capacity.

On infrastructure, Liendo said work is currently under way at Berth 3 to dismantle the horizontal loading facility. "Now is the ideal time because only merchant vessels are arriving," he explained, noting that with the end of the red shrimp season in national waters, the peak fishing operations have passed.

He added that work at Berth 4 has also been planned, including demolition of the existing platform. The winning contractor has completed fabrication of all cross beams, with installation to follow, adding 140 meters of working frontage in that area and boosting operating capacity.

"We will be well placed to welcome the squid season that starts in January," Liendo said. The extension at Berth 4 will improve traffic flow on the elevated roadway, so trucks no longer have to stop on it and block access to other berths. "This is a real advantage, because when a vessel is unloading at Berth 4, it blocks all operations at Berths 3, 2 and 1."

The "Blue Port" process

Puerto Madryn, meanwhile, is advancing toward becoming Argentina's first "Blue Port" under the guidelines of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Vigo is regarded as the world's "Blue Port capital," and Puerto Madryn continues to cooperate within this framework, sharing transformation experience.

Liendo mentioned meetings with counterparts in Vigo, especially the port authority, and described Puerto Madryn's progress: "We are completing all the stages set out in the schedule. This is being driven strongly by Dante De Bunder under the direction of general manager Sergio Bustos. It is a process in which goals and indicators must be met step by step in line with FAO guidelines, and we are on that path."

Puerto Madryn is located in Chubut Province in Argentina's Patagonia region, and its docks mainly serve fisheries landings and exports. The companies exhibiting at the Vigo fair are all clients of the port, and the port is also in contact with shipping lines such as Maersk, MCC and Wan.