SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — August 19, 2014 — A parade of boats powering bright lights at night is showing up between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara, very close to shore.
"We have a squid run going on right out in front of Santa Barbara," said Santa Barbara Harbor Operations Manager Mick Kronman.
Squid fishermen who normally find their catch by the Channel Islands, Monterey, Gaviota or Malibu, have located a massive population just a few minutes off the coast between Ventura and Santa Barbara.
"This is a highly sustainable fishery. It's regulated by quotas even though 118 thousand tons a year seems like a lot this is a massive volume of fish they are fishing on," said Kronman.
What's caught the public's eye at night are the bright lights off each boat. They bring the squid to the surface, and the haul is caught in large nets. Then it's off to the markets, and not necessarily close to home.
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