The Council of Argentine Fishing Companies (CEPA) reports that 55 crew of Solimeno SA’s trawler Luca Mario have been tested for Covid-19 and given the all-clear.
CEPA has been making efforts to make this known, seeking to reassure the general public, as well as putting the minds of crews and their families at rest.
In Argentina fishing is rated as an ‘essential activity’ and as such is expected to continue operation through the pandemic. CEPA states that it will continue to comply with strict requirements, working to protocols agreed with industry unions.
41 of Luca Mario’s 55 crew were brought in by coach from outside Mar del Plata, and the protocols in place include provision of secure accommodation for crew members not resident locally during the pre-departure period.
‘Tests were carried out in compliance with the protocols agreed with the authorities and unions of the sector, which recommend that crews working in the deep-sea freezer sector undergo health checks, and this includes screening to rule out the presence of Covid-19,’ a CEPA spokesman said.
