Abstract Bottom trawl fishing is the most used worldwide gear generating large amounts of discards due to bycatch of a variety of species. Shrimp fisheries are recognized for their high incidence in global discards. In waters of Patagonia Argentina (43°S - 47°S) an industrial shrimp fishery of high economic value is developed whose target species is the Patagonian shrimp Pleoticus muelleri. The information presented in this study comprises a period of 12 years (2003-2014) and it was gathered by the On-board Observer Program. The Program collects information of all species captured in the fishing fleets. The data analyzed corresponds to the double-rigged otter trawler fleet and the coastal fleet. The fish bycatch composition was characterized in both fleets and the frequencies of occurrence of species and the assemblage areas were analyzed. A total of 101 fish species were identified (59 families) of which 69 were bony fishes, 29 cartilaginous fishes and three species of jawless fishes. The assemblages described correspond to coastal and deep waters, and they are integrated by temperate and subtropical species pointing out the area as an ecotonal zone.

Contributions of marine ornithology to an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management At least about 70 species of seabirds feed in the waters of the Argentinean continental shelf, which is probably the area with the highest biomass of albatrosses in the world. The distribution of these birds at sea generally coincides with commercial fisheries in areas with high marine productivity, so their interactions can be frequent and diverse. The study of the Argentine Sea considering seabirds as part of an integrated approach represents a challenge. Some aspects of the biology of these birds could act as environmental indicators to understand systems, assess their conservation status and analyze their relationships with global processes. Although interactions between seabirds and some fishing fleets operating on the Patagonian shelf have not yet been addressed, the knowledge of the ecology, behaviour and conservation of this group of birds has increased significantly in the last decade. Including ecosystem considerations into fisheries management should contribute to long-term food security and ensure effective conservation and sustainable use of the ecosystem and its resources.

Al menos unas 70 especies de aves marinas se alimentan en la plataforma continental argentina, que es posiblemente el área con mayor biomasa de albatros en el mundo. La distribución de las aves en el mar generalmente coincide con la de las pesquerías comerciales en áreas con elevada productividad marina, por lo que sus interacciones pueden ser frecuentes y diversas. El abordaje del Mar Argentino considerando a las aves como parte de un enfoque integrado representa un desafío. Algunos aspectos de la biología de estas aves podrían actuar como indicadores ambientales permitiendo interpretar los sistemas, evaluar su estado de conservación y analizar relaciones con procesos globales. Aunque las interacciones entre las aves y algunas flotas pesqueras que operan en la plataforma todavía no han sido estudiadas, el conocimiento sobre la ecología, el comportamiento y la conservación de estas aves ha crecido significativamente en la última década. Incluir consideraciones ecosistémicas en el manejo de la pesca es contribuir a largo plazo a la seguridad alimentaria y a asegurar una efectiva conservación y uso sostenible del ecosistema y sus recursos.

In San Jorge Gulf, several important economic activities are developed, including two industrial fisheries: hake (Merluccius hubbsi Marini, 1933) and Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri Bate, 1888). Both overlap spatially and temporally. The San Jorge Gulf hake fishery consists of a high-seas ice trawler fleet (n = 20 fishing vessels) and a coastal fleet (n = 30 fishing vessels). These fisheries capture about 10% of the catch of the southern hake stock. The Argentine red shrimp fishery consists of a double-beam trawler fleet with 80 freezer vessels, responsible for more than 75% of shrimp landings in Argentina. The main problem of both fisheries is the bycatch of hake in one of its principle nursery areas. The present work describes the current management of the fisheries of San Jorge Gulf, which consists primarily of spatial and temporal closures for the Argentine red shrimp and zoning by stratum of the fleet for hake. Neither of these two fisheries has taken measures that effectively reduce bycatch.

En el golfo San Jorge se desarrollan varias actividades económicas de relevancia, entre ellas dos pesquerías industriales: la pesquería de merluza común (Merluccius hubbsi Marini, 1933) y la pesquería de langostino patagónico (Pleoticus muelleri Bate, 1888), ambas se solapan espacial y temporalmente. En la pesquería de merluza del golfo San Jorge opera una flota fresquera de altura, compuesta por unas 20 embarcaciones, y una flota costera, compuesta por unas 30 embarcaciones. En esta pesquería se pesca alrededor del 10% de lo capturado en el stock sur de merluza. En la pesquería de langostino del golfo San Jorge opera una flota congeladora tangonera compuesta por 80 embarcaciones, responsable de más del 75% de los desembarques de langostino realizados en la República Argentina. Ambas pesquerías tienen como principal problema la captura incidental de merluza, en una de sus principales áreas de cría. En el presente trabajo se describe el manejo actual en las pesquerías del golfo San Jorge, el cual consiste principalmente en cierres espaciales y temporales para la pesca de langostino, y zonificaciones por estrato de flota para la merluza. En ninguna de las dos pesquerías descriptas se han tomado medidas que reduzcan eficazmente la captura incidental.