Artisanal marine fisheries in Argentina: evolution, typologies and priorities for management

Abstract

Argentina has around 5,000 km of coastline and one of the world’s largest continental shelves. Its enormous marine wealth supports a thriving large scale industrial fishery. In contrast, the artisanal fishing sector remains far less developed. Its origins trace back to the late 1800s, when European immigrants introduced it in Buenos Aires province, primarily in the ports of Mar del Plata and Bahía Blanca. These fisheries peaked in the 1960s but saw limited expansion in the rest of the country. Today, the artisanal fishing landscape has shifted: traditional fishing ports have very small artisanal fleets, while the activity has expanded in other regions such as Patagonia. Additionally, new commercial operations using semi-rigid boats and kayaks have gained prominence in Buenos Aires. By combining the limited available statistics with interviews from key informants, we identified 60 fishery units along the coast, encompassing 15 distinct metiers and employing nearly 1,000 vessels and around 3,000 fishers in extractive activities. Using a Factor Analysis of Mixed Data on 13 variables —including vessel and gear characteristics, fishing operation, and catch utilisation—we categorised these units into three groups: Strictly Small-Scale Fisheries, Medium Small-Scale Fisheries, and Semi-industrial fisheries. These clusters exhibit varying level of informality and management intensity. We compare Argentina’s artisanal marine sector with those of other developing and developed nations, analysing its evolution in recent decades and discussing key challenges and priorities for its sustainable management.