September 3, 2013 — Fishermen and boaters of Cape Ann and other parts of the North Shore are seeing a marked increase in long fin squid, a species normally more common south of Cape Cod.
It’s the second summer of a squid population explosion, from the Cape to Southern Maine, said Michael Armstrong, assistant director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries’ Gloucester field station.
“We’ve always had them (long fin squid), but in less numbers,” said Armstrong. “Their abundance is through the roof … It’s even more pronounced this year.”
Armstrong said the word “boom” would be an accurate description, with long fin squid numbers increasing tenfold, at least.
The inky invertebrates are so plentiful that it’s become popular to catch them, both to eat and to use a bait. The increase in squid fishing has caused friction recently at some North Shore docks — between authorities, boaters and other fishermen.
Earlier this summer, Marblehead town officials banned fishing from town-owned docks and floats, after overcrowding by squid anglers became a problem.