Arbeletche, López Cazorla, and Brandan currently have more questions than answers

Suggestive Low Profile of Officials Amid Serious Fishing Crisis

ARGENTINA
Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Given the lack of "connection" within the sector and the national government's policy, it would seem that those responsible at the national and provincial levels do not know what to say.

As the specialized media outlet Parte de Pesca commented in an article today, "Voices are multiplying due to the delicate scenario facing the fishing industry, and there are increasingly more alerts pointing to the social fragility caused by the deepening crisis in the sector." The outlet concludes its introductory comment by noting the "striking inaction and low profile of key officials, both national and provincial."

Chubut's Secretary of Fisheries, Andrés Arbeletche; the Undersecretary of Aquatic Resources and Fisheries of the Nation, Vet. Med. Juan Antonio López Cazorla; and the Undersecretary of Fisheries of Chubut, Diego Alejandro Brandan.

The Undersecretary of Aquatic Resources and Fisheries of the Nation, Med. Vet. Juan Antonio López Cazorla, has received numerous proposals from business chambers, and independent companies have also conveyed their growing concern about the worsening situation affecting the fishing industry.

The Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) increased the Single Extraction Right (DUE) at the end of 2024, despite insistent demands from the sector for a reduction in the tax burden. This measure was supported by representatives of the National Executive Branch and provincial representatives from Chubut, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego.

Following strong criticism from fishing chambers, two temporary "patches" were attempted regarding the DUE, but they did not satisfy the sector at all because they did not provide solutions to the underlying problems.

López Cazorla has also been unable or unwilling to convey to the economic team of Javier Milei's government the negative impact that maintaining Export Duties (DEX) is having on the fishing industry. To the point that a potential elimination or suspension of retentions for fishing does not appear on the agenda of priority issues for the fisheries administration.

With the Argentine red shrimp freezer trawler fleet paralyzed and the announcement from five fishing chambers that they will not send out high-seas fresh fish vessels for shrimp fishing in national waters, a highly concerning scenario is unfolding. Processing plants in Chubut will not have guaranteed raw material, and consequently, there will be a significant impact on onshore employment, which will exacerbate social tensions.

Adding to this, the Secretary of Fisheries of Chubut, Andrés Arbeletche, has also opted for a suggestive low profile. This fact was a topic of analysis at the recent Patagonia Business Networking Exhibition (Evenpa 2025), where the official did not participate despite the "Sea Block," which included a specific panel to address the "Current Situation and Perspectives of the Fishing Sector," having been scheduled for months.

During that event, and when the state's role in the fishing crisis was analyzed, it was specifically recalled that in August 2024, Arbeletche himself gathered the entire provincial fishing sector in Rawson and announced that the Executive Branch would submit a bill to the Legislature to declare a "fishing emergency" with the aim of "lowering taxes to preserve jobs in fishing." However, that promise of "lowering taxes to preserve jobs in fishing" fell on deaf ears, and the initiative was abandoned without further explanation, even though none of the variables that justified the emergency had improved, and the general context was beginning to worsen the crisis.

The government's inaction is drawing strong criticism from the private sector, which continues to demand a more proactive state role in establishing an inclusive dialogue table. The primary objective is to explore urgent measures to overcome the severe crisis gripping the fishing industry. The official response, citing a matter of national jurisdiction, proves unsatisfactory for a sector that yearns for concrete and effective intervention from its representatives.

editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media

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