Razor clams fisheries in Patagonia, Argentina

MORSAN, E.; CIOCCO, N.F

Razor clams: biology, aquaculture and fisheries

Xunta do Galicia, Consellería do Mar.

Año: 2011; p. 405 - 416

Shellfisheries in North Patagonia constitute a traditional subsistence activity focused in scallops, mussels and some clam species. Between the latter, the razor clam (Ensis macha) represents an alternative to diversify traditional shellfish captures. Their beds are distributed along the coast structured as metapopulations consisting of discontinuous population subunits with different degree of connectivity. In these population subunits, densities often reach 60 individuals per m-2 (biomass: 1–1.5 kg. m-2).  In Argentina E. macha is mainly exploited at two sites from San Matías Gulf (42o S; North Patagonia): El Sótano (3-5 vessels) at the NW and Puerto Lobos (2 vessels) at the Centre-South of the gulf. The scale of the fishery is artisanal, with out-board motor vessels equipped with an air compressor that enables the diver to work with an “hydro-jet” system to remove the clam from the substrate. The average CPUE at El Sótano ranged from 4.8 to 19.6 Kg diver-1 hr-1 between 2005 and 2009. Razor clam population dynamics is under study and fishery data are regularly collected by the Fishery Administration but no biological reference points yet to regulate harvesting. Despite the razor clam captures represent less than 1% of total shellfish landings of the artisanal fleet, there are favourable expectations based on the high price of first sale (around € 3.56 . kg-1), and on the fact that the main beds remain unexploited.