Argentina's fishery exports jump 19% as study details hake (merluza) diet changes

Argentina's fishing sector reported that exports in the first half of 2026 reached 334,664.8 tonnes worth US$1.173 billion, marking an 11.7% rise in volume and a 19.3% increase in value year‑on‑year. While squid remained the top export product with stable figures, shrimp (langostino) drove most of the growth, posting a 38.2% volume rise and a 46.4% value jump to US$430.3 million. Hake (merluza) also recovered, with exports climbing 28.1% in volume and 34.9% in value to US$166.8 million. The surge in frozen whole shrimp nearly doubled its export value compared with the same period in 2025.

A separate scientific investigation examined 16,019 hake specimens collected during 2025 cruises on the research vessels Dr. Eduardo Holmberg and Víctor Angelescu. Conducted by researchers from CONICET and the National Institute of Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP), the study, published in *Fisheries Research*, found that hake diet shifts with size: juveniles feed mainly on krill and amphipods, while larger individuals increasingly consume fish and squid, placing the species at a high trophic level. The work highlights the importance of understanding hake feeding ecology for managing over‑exploited stocks that saw biomass halve in the 1990s.