ALLOCATION POLICIES AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR RECREATIONAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN INLAND

WATERS OF ARGENTINA

Pablo H. Vigliano1, José Bechara2, Rolando Quiros3

1Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, (8400) Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina.2 Instituto de Ictiología del Nordeste, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNNE, S. Cabral 2139, (3400) Corrientes, Argentina.3Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av San Martin 4453, (1417) Buenos Aires, Argentina.

dominate the scene of Argentina recreational fishing, been each unique in terms of environmental context, fish fauna and fishery types.

Central, Westernand Northwesternregions

The Northeast, region

Patagonia and Tierra del Fuegoregions

Fishery typeFishery type Resource Resource characteristic characteristic

sought forsought for

Main target spMain target sp Fishers Fishers sociosocio--

economic economic levellevel

ArgentinianArgentinian regionregion Regional Regional human human densitydensity

World classWorld class--Fishing lodgesFishing lodges

Trophy size Trophy size high numbershigh numbers

SalmonidsSalmonidsSalminusSalminus

Very high Very high inter / inter /

nationalnational

Tierra del Tierra del FuegoFuego/Patagonia /Patagonia IberIberáá

swampsswamps

Very lowVery low

Recreational 1Recreational 1--Fishing lodgesFishing lodges

Large sizeLarge size SalmonidsSalmonidsSalminusSalminus

PseudoplatistomaPseudoplatistomaPiaractusPiaractusBryconBrycon

High High nationalsnationals

Northern PatagoniaNorthern PatagoniaNE ArgentinaNE Argentina--

ParanParanáá Paraguay Paraguay ConfluenceConfluence-- IberaIbera

swampsswamps

LowLow

Recreational 2Recreational 2 Size and Size and numbers of numbers of fish caughtfish caught

SalmonidsSalmonidsOdontesthesOdontesthes

hatcherihatcheriO. O. bonariensisbonariensis

SalminusSalminusPseudoplatistomaPseudoplatistoma

PiaractusPiaractus

Upper Upper middle middle class class ––middle middle classclass

Northern PatagoniaNorthern PatagoniaPampaPampa plainsplains

Upper & middle Upper & middle ParanParanáá riverriver

MiddleMiddle

Recreational 3Recreational 3 Numbers of Numbers of fish caughtfish caught

SalminusSalminusPseudoplatistomaPseudoplatistoma

OdontesthesOdontesthesbonariensisbonariensis

Middles Middles classclass--lower lower middle middle classclass

LowerLower--Middle Middle ParanaParana RiverRiverParanParanáá delta delta PampaPampa plainsplainsNorthwestern Northwestern

reservoirs, reservoirs, YaciretaYaciretadamdam

Middle Middle --HighHigh

Recreational 4 Recreational 4 --bannedbanned

Numbers of Numbers of fish caughtfish caught

CyprinusCyprinus carpiocarpioSmall Small riverineriverine fishfish

Low Low middle middle class & class &

poorpoor

RRííoo de La Plata de La Plata riverriver

HighHigh

The Northeast

1. Pilcomayo river, 2. Paraguay river, 3. Upper Paraná river, 4. Yacyreta dam, 5. Middle Paraná river, 6. Lower Paranáriver and delta, 7. Uruguay river, 8. Iguazú river, 9. Iguazú falls, 10. Corrientes river, 11. Río de la Plata river.

OrderCharaciforms

Siluriforms

PerciformsAtheriniforms

Scientific NameSalminus brasiliensisPiaractus mesopotamicus

Brycon orbignyanus

Hoplias malabaricusLeporinus obtusidens

Pseudoplatystoma corruscansPseudoplatystoma fasciatumPaulicea luetkeniZungaro zungaroLuciopimelodus pati

Habitspotamodromous, top predatorpotamodromous,omnivorous /frugivorouspotamodromous, omnivorous / frugivorousnon migrant, lake dweller, top predatorpotamodromous, omnivorous

potamodromous, top predatorpotamodromous, top predatorpotamodromous, top predatorpotamodromous, top predatorpotamodromous, top predatorpotamodromous, top predatorpotamodromous, top predatorpotamodromous, top predatornon migrant, benthic feederpotamodromous, omnivorouspotamodromous, benthic feeder

non migrant, top predatornon migrant, lake dweller,/planktonic and benthic feeder

Upper Paraná River

boga

Dorado

Surubí

Dorado fishing at Iberá Marshes and related wetlands

Middle Paraná River

Surubí

Pacú

Dorado

Live BaitLive Bait

Tararira

Hoplos

Knife fish

Swamp eel

Conflicts with artisanal fisheries at Paraná-Paraguay confluence.

Large Reservoir Fisheries

Yacyreta

Itaipú

Salto Grande

Armored catfish

Piranhas

Small catfishes

FishingFishingTournamentsTournaments

Locations of some famous fishing tournaments

Dorado fishing

•Most rivers share provincial and international jurisdictions creating problems and conflicts

To solve problems:

• Joint commission (Paraguay and 4 limiting provinces), establish a Common Fishing code

•Relies on consultations with Advisory Committee con formed by: Scientist, technicians, Commercial & Fishing organizations, outfitters, lodge owners, coast guard

Fishing Code

•Harvestable target species in common waters

•Species specific daily catch quotas per fisher

•Fish size limit regulations

•Types of gear & banned fishing practices

•Season closure periods

•Reserves and protected areas

BACKGROUND AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE NORTHEASTERN REGION

OBJECTIVES AND GAPS

Meanwhile the fishing code is achieved by consensus taking into account previous management schemes:

• No major revisions of objectives and regulation usefulness have been undertaken

•Real managers in most provinces are lacking and those that exist lack the necessary funding for major management plans

•Very little is known about the processes that should direct sound management•No catch quota for fishing types allowed exist

•The numbers of licenses sold in not limited

•The only limitation to over fishing is fish minimum size

•There are no allocations between fisher groups

•In some cases fishing type (commercial –recreational) is area allocated

•Allocation schemes do not respond to an integral management perspective generating conflicts between and within fisher groups

Hydrology of the Central, Western and Northwestern regions:

1. Río De La Plata, 2. Paraná river, 3. Salado river (Buenos Aires province), 4. San Borombon river, 5. Canal 5 river, 6. Mar Chiquita, 7. Colorado River, 8. Salado river (La Pampa province), 9. La amarga lake, 10. Atuel river, 11. Diamante river, 12. Tunuyan river, 13. San Juan river, 14. Jachal river, 15. Quinto river, 16. Cuarto river, 17, Tercero river, 18. Segundo river, 19. Primero river, 20. Mar Chiquita lake, 21. Dulce river, 22 Salado river.

Order

Characiforms

Atheriniforms

Cypriniforms

Scientific Name

Hoplias malabaricus

Odontesthes bonariensis

Cyprinus carpio

Habits

non migrant, lake & streams andirrigation channel dweller, top predatorpotamodromous, omnivorous

non migrant, lake dweller,/planktonic and benthic feeder

Freshwater / omnivorous

Central Pampa plains

•Responsibility for regulating fisheries rest in provincial governments•Socioeconomic and biological information for management is scattered trough provincial jurisdictions•Valuable data such as total catch and effort are not sought for or reported

•Regulations are issued in response to declining fisheries

•Regulations rely closed seasons, bag limits and size slots fluctuating widely across jurisdictions•Regulations are in general interspersed with ambiguity and contradictions been usually ineffective•Fishery control and enforcement is week

•Public participation in the decision process is practically null

GENERAL BACKGROUND AND LEGAL FRAME WORK IN THE CENTRAL, WESTERN AND NORTHWESTERN REGIONS

OBJECTIVES AND GAPS

•Objectives for the extensive fisheries of O. bonariensis are not clearly set

•Fishery Science is at present dispersed in a few Universities poorly financed

•Sound Management is usually implemented at local levels, lacking in many occasions continuity through out time

•Most allocation actions are set in accordance to perceived decline of particular fishery but not on actual studies

Hydrology ofPatagonia and Tierra

del Fuego regions.

Atlantic drainages: 1.Colorado river, 2. Negro river,3. Neuquén river, 4. Limay river, 5. Chubutriver, 6 Chico river(Chubut province), 7. Senguerr river, Deseado river, 9.Chico river (Santa Cruz province), 10. Santa Cruz river, 11. Coig river, 12. Gallegos river, 13. Grande river, 14. Ewanriver, Pacific draining: 15. Lacar lake, 16. Manso river, 17 Puelo lake, 18. Futaleufu river, 19. Corcovado river, 20 Pico. lake, 21. Pueyrredon lake, 22. San Martín lake, 23. Fagnano lake, Endorheicbasin 24. Senguerr river.

(Falkland)

Order 1Salmoniforms

Atheriniforms

Perciforms

Cypriniforms

Pleuronectiforms

Scientific Name 1

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Salmo trutta

Salmo salarO. tshawytschaSalvelinus fontinalisS. namaycush

Odontesthes hatcheriO. bonaeriensis

Percichthys altispinisP. colhuapensisP. truchaP. vinciguerraeEleginops maclovinusMugil liza

Cyprinus carpio

Paralichthys sp.

Habits

Freshwater and anadromous / top predator (fish and macrozoobenthos)Freshwater and anadromous / top predator (fish and macrozoobenthos)landlocked / top predator (fish)Anadromous / top predatorFreshwater / top predatorFreshwater / top predator

Freshwater / benthic and planktonic feederFreshwater / benthic and planktonic feeder

Freshwater / fish and macrozoobenthosFreshwater / fish and macrozoobenthosFreshwater / fish and macrozoobenthosFreshwater / fish and macrozoobenthosmarine – brackish water/marine brackish water/

Freshwater / omnivorous

Marine- brackish water / top predator

Rainbow trout

Brook trout

Brown trout

Brown trouts

Rainbow trout

Silverside

Catfish

Perch

Silverside

Oncorhynchustshawytscha Atlanticrun

Salmo salar landlocked

Oncorhynchustshawytscha Pacific run

Salmo salar Pacific run

Steelhead trout

Sea run brown trout

GENERAL BACKGROUND AND LEGAL FRAME WORK FOR PATAGONIA AND TIERRA DEL FUEGO

COMMON FISHING CODE

trough consultations with:

Consultive Commission on Patagonia Continental Fishing

Provincial Governments & National park Administration

•Etc.

•Technicians•Fishing organizations

•Outfitters, Lodge owners and Administrators•Fishing guides

•Fishing associations

OBJECTIVES AND GAPS

Management does not respond to an integral perspective

•Usually corresponding to “de facto” policies

•Allocations rely mainly on particular perceptions of specific sectors and interest groups usually involving:

catch quotas, size and bag limitsclose seasons

there are no differential allocations policies between recreational fisher groups

fishing licenses have differential values according to fishing modes (fly fishing, casting, trolling)

allocation trough designation of particular habitats for specific fishing modes

THIS HAS GENERATED CONFLICTS SUCH AS :

•Private lodges (restricted access and strictly catch and release policies) vs unlimited public accesses•Catch and release polices for all rivers fostered by fly fishingorganizations vs catch quotas fostered by other fishing groups•Release of all native fish species fostered by National Parks and conservation NGO’s vs official agencies that foster their catch

INCREASING DEMANDS FOR SOUND MANAGEMENT ARE MET WITH:

•Few trained fishery scientist and managers•Insufficient funding and infrastructure

•Myths about how to manage inland fish resources

•Political decisions

•Lack of fishery oriented studies

FINAL REMARKS

A WIDE BODY OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS EXIST TROUGHOUT ARGENTINA

•THIS GENERALLY LEADS TO

•NO CONTINUITY ON IMPLEMENTED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

HOWEVER:

•There seems to exist a mismatch between the purpose of the law and actual management

•Stemming from lack of awareness about the importance of the resource, its fragility and the complexities inherent to managing fish resources

•FISHING CODES AND ALLOCATION POLICIES BASED ON PERCEPTIONS OR AGENDAS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST GROUPS

•SCARCE MANAGEMENT ORIENTED RESEARCH

PRIORITY GAPS TO BE FULLFILLED

TO CREATE AWARENESS ON ALL SOCIETY LEVELS ABOUT RESOURCE FRAGILITY AND THE NEED FOR MANAGEMENT ORIENTED RESEARCH

TO DEVELOP LOCAL AND REGIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS THAT COULD GENERATE BIOLOGICAL,

ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN FACTOR INFORMATION THAT MAY LEAD TO SOUND

MANAGEMENT DECISIONS

TO INTEGRATE AL STAKEHOLDERS OF PARTICULAR FISHERIES INTO THE

DECISION PROCESS

THANK YOU

Nahuel Huapi Lake