Artisanal mollusk fisheries in San Matías Gulf (Patagonia, Argentina): An appraisal of the factors contributing to unsustainability

The invertebrate fisheries of the San Matías Gulf, Río Negro Province, Argentina, are based on bivalve mollusks, including purple clam Amiantis purpurata, Tehuelche scallop Aequipecten tehuelchus, mussel Mytilus edulis platensis, and ribbed mussel Aulacomya atra, as well as the Patagonian octopus Octopus tehuelchus. The entire fishery is small-scale with approximately 200 or more individuals depending on these resources, including shellfish collectors harvesting along the coastline, artisanal dredge fishers, and commercial divers. This study reviews the fishing strategies implemented for the exploitation and management of these resources and assesses their condition based on a framework that explores the factors that contribute to the lack of sustainability and overexploitation in fisheries. Four dimensions are considered in the analysis: bioecological, economic, social, and institutional. It is evident that the various species harvested in the zone reflect fluctuations over time, requiring the use of an opportunistic harvesting operation, expressed in changes in the fishing strategies employed by fishers for different species. Although the unpredictable fluctuations in fisheries resource availability are considered as a relevant factor towards fisheries unsustainability, anthropological aspects cannot be disregarded as potential determinants in the process.