Squid Archives - Page 3 of 15

Oceana reports Chinese, Spanish squid vessels ‘going dark’ off Argentina

June 4, 2021 — A South Atlantic shortfin squid fishery is dominated by distant-water fleets off Argentina, primarily Chinese vessels that account for an estimated 69 percent of fishing activity, according to a new report by the environmental group Oceana.

From Jan. 1, 2018 to April 25, 2021, the group documented more than 800 foreign-flag vessels logging more than 900,000 hours of apparent fishing activity, based on analysis of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data.

That analysis also showed vessels regularly “went dark” – apparently turning off their AIS transponders – effectively dropping out of sight for 600,000 hours in all. Some 66 percent of those outages involved Chinese vessels, raising the possibility of masked illegal fishing, such as intruding into Argentina’s exclusive economic zone, according to Oceana researchers.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed Rule for the 2021-2023 Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Specifications

May 26, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries proposes Atlantic mackerel, squid, and butterfish quotas for the 2021-2023 fishing years and reaffirms 2021 chub mackerel specifications as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

This action would:

Maintain the 2020 specifications through 2022 for Atlantic mackerel, (19,184 mt ABC), through 2021 for Illex squid (30,000 mt ABC), through 2023 for longfin squid (23,400 mt ABC).
Reduce the butterfish allowable catch by 72 percent, from the current 22,752 mt to 6,350 mt in for the remainder of 2021. Allowable catch for butterfish in 2022 would increase to 11,495 mt. Given recent catch trends, this reduction is not expected to negatively impact the commercial fishing industry.
Maintain the 3,884 mt butterfish catch cap in the longfin squid fishery.
Implement 48-hour Illex reporting after July 15 for commercial dealers for the remainder of the fishing year (the current requirement is weekly reporting.).
Change the Illex closure threshold to 94 percent from 95 percent.
Reaffirm the previously approved 2021 through 2022 chub mackerel specifications.

Read the proposed rule as published today in the Federal Register. Supporting documents for this rule are available on the MAFMC website.

Comments on this rule must be received by 5 pm on June 10, 2021 and may be submitted though the online portal.

Questions?

Industry: Aly Pitts, Regional Office, 978-281-9352

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

Northeast squid: Recovery slow, but Rhode Island harvesters welcome restaurants’ return

May 4, 2021 — More than half of all squid landings in the Northeast come from Rhode Island. But last year, as a result of the pandemic, some Rhode Island fleets saw earnings dip by 30 percent.

Jason Didden, a fishery management specialist at the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, says that so far in 2021, total longfin landing are off to a slow start at less than 5 million pounds landed, compared to this time last year when around 11 million pounds had been landed. Illex season typically gets started in May and 2021 squid quotas are the same as 2020: 23,400 metric tons for longfin and 30,000 metric tons for illex. (The illex quota was expected to be reviewed in May.)

Coming off a troubling year has taken great effort. Kat Smith, Director of marketing and communications at Town Dock, a large processor distributor based in Narragansett, R.I., says “at this point, things are still not back to normal — although we’re glad that the light at the end of the tunnel gets closer every day. There continues to be a global shipping container shortage, covid-related disruptions, and now, the Suez Canal issue, all of which have supply chain impacts for seafood and many other industries.”

Two Town Dock products, says Smith, Rhode Island calamari (longfin inshore squid) and premium domestic calamari (northern shortfin squid), which are both caught in Rhode Island and are Marine Stewardship Council certified sustainable, are always popular.

“When we look at our foodservice offerings, we are certainly better than this time last year — restaurants are ramping up with states’ reopening plans, and more people are vaccinated and excited to go out to eat. Calamari — and seafood, in general — has also enjoyed year-over-year growth in retail and grocery stores. The demand is very good; once the supply chain has sorted itself out, we are excited for the opportunities ahead.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

MAFMC Advisory Panel Applications Due This Friday, April 23

April 19, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The deadline to apply for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s advisory panels is this Friday, April 23. All current advisory panel members must reapply to be considered for reappointment.

Apply Here

The Council is accepting applications for the following advisory panels:

Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish
Surfclam and Ocean Quahog
Tilefish
Bluefish
Ecosystem and Ocean Planning
River Herring and Shad
Dogfish (jointly managed with New England Council)
Communication and Outreach (NEW!)

How to Apply

Anyone interested in serving on an advisory panel may apply online or download an application at www.mafmc.org/advisory-panel-application. Applications can also be obtained by calling (302) 518-1143 or emailing msabo@mafmc.org.

Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 23, 2021.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Mary Sabo at (302) 518-1143, msabo@mafmc.org.

About Advisory Panels

Advisory panels provide information and recommendations to the Council during the development of fishery management plans, amendments, specifications, and other initiatives. One of the chief responsibilities of advisory panels is the development of annual Fishery Performance Reports. These reports provide the Council and SSC with information about the factors that influenced fishing effort and catch within each fishery during the previous year. Learn more about advisory panels here.

Advisory panels are composed of individuals with diverse experience and interest in Mid-Atlantic fisheries. Members include commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, for-hire operators, commercial dealers, scientists, environmentalists, and other members of the interested public. Most advisory panels meet 1-2 times per year. Members are compensated for travel and per diem expenses for all meetings. Individuals who are appointed to advisory panels serve for three-year terms.

Oregon Sets New Regulations for Growing Market Squid Fishery

March 29, 2021 — While California’s market squid has dipped over the past few years, it’s hit the big time in Oregon: The state has established directed fishery regulations for the growing fishing effort for Doryteuthis opalescens.

More market squid have been showing up in Oregon waters since 2016 and fishermen followed. From the 1980s to 2015, the catch was sporadic, with the harvest off of Oregon totaling a little more than 4.5 million pounds for that entire time. The squid — and the fishermen — were most prevalent off of California.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Applicants for Advisory Panels

March 22, 2021 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting applications from qualified individuals to serve on nine advisory panels. Advisory panels provide information and recommendations to the Council during the development of fishery management plans, amendments, specifications, and other initiatives. One of the chief responsibilities of advisory panels is the development of annual Fishery Performance Reports. These reports provide the Council and SSC with information about the factors that influenced fishing effort and catch within each fishery during the previous year. Learn more about advisory panels here.

The Council is accepting applications for the following advisory panels:

Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass
Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish
Surfclam and Ocean Quahog
Tilefish
Bluefish
Ecosystem and Ocean Planning
River Herring and Shad
Dogfish (jointly managed with New England Council)
Communication and Outreach (NEW – see below for details)

How to Apply

Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 23, 2021.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Mary Sabo at (302) 518-1143, msabo@mafmc.org.

Information About the New Communication and Outreach Advisory Panel

The Council is soliciting applicants for a new Communication and Outreach (C/O) Advisory Panel. Formation of this advisory panel was identified as a priority in the Council’s 2020-2024 Strategic Plan and 2021 Implementation Plan. The C/O Advisory Panel’s primary purpose will be to provide advice and recommendations on effective strategies for achieving the Council’s communication objectives. Specific tasks may include:

Helping to identify effective communication tools and approaches for reaching Council stakeholders;
Providing feedback on the content and delivery of Council communication and outreach products;
Identifying opportunities to increase public understanding and awareness of the Council and its managed fisheries;
Informing the Council about topics of stakeholder interest or high priority communication needs; and
Reviewing and providing feedback on draft communication products (e.g. web pages or fact sheets), as needed.

Similar to the Council’s other advisory panels, membership on the C/O Advisory Panel should reflect the diverse interests of the Mid-Atlantic Council’s stakeholders. Members may include commercial and recreational fishermen, for-hire operators, representatives from non-governmental organizations, scientists/academics, members of the general public, fishery managers, and communication/outreach professionals.

Labeyrie joins Chinese squid fisheries improvement project

January 6, 2021 — A major European seafood brand has joined a fishery improvement project (FIP) for squid in Chinese waters.

Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, France-based Labeyrie Fine Foods, a producer and distributor of value-added seafood and other food products to European retailers under the Labeyrie, Delpierre, Blini, Comptoir Sushi, and Ovive brands, has joined the East China Sea and Yellow Sea Squid Fishery Improvement Project, launched in 2018.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

As China draws fire on IUU, China’s squid capital enjoys record growth

October 29, 2020 — With Chinese leaders meeting in Beijing this week to finalize the country’s five-year economic blueprint, the operators of China’s self-declared capital of squid processing are hailing a record growth in landings and processing volumes during the outgoing five year plan.

Officials from the Zhoushan National Distant-Water Fishery Industry Base invited regional media to tour the industrial park and port facilities to mark the completion of the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan, which will give way next year to the 14th Five-Year Plan, a document produced by the central government to guide China’s economy.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

To Further the ‘Calamari Comeback,’ Rhode Island Delegation is Angling to Give Ocean State Fishermen a Greater Say on Squid Quotas

October 21, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Jack Reed (D-RI):

In an effort to give Rhode Island fisherman a voice and voting representation on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), which manages some of the most important fish stocks for the state’s commercial fishing industry – chief among them squid, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and U.S. Representatives James Langevin and David Cicilline, today announced the reintroduction of the Rhode Island Fishermen’s Fairness Act. The bill would add Rhode Island to the list of seven states with voting representation on the MAFMC, a regional management board that establishes fishery management rules for stocks primarily caught in federal waters adjacent to the mid-Atlantic coast.

“This is an issue of fairness. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is a key decision making body that determines what happens off the coast of Rhode Island, but our state doesn’t have a seat or say right now. Our fishermen deserve appropriate representation on this council. Mid-Atlantic-regulated stocks now represent the majority of landings for Rhode Island commercial fishermen. It is time that our state has formal representation on this council and this legislation will ensure they get it,” said Senator Reed, who has been pushing this issue since 2005.

“As climate change heats up the oceans, fish that once lived in the warmer mid-Atlantic have migrated north to the waters off New England,” said Senator Whitehouse. “We’re fighting to get Rhode Island fishermen more of a say in the rules for catching fish that are now plentiful off our coast.”

“Rhode Island’s fishermen must have a voice in the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s decisions, which increasingly affect the future of Rhode Island’s fisheries,” said Congressman Langevin, lead author of the House bill. “Our state has a proud history of providing quality seafood for our nation, but climate change and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continue to threaten our fishing industry. As the Mid-Atlantic Council confronts these pressing challenges, we are reintroducing the Rhode Island Fishermen’s Fairness Act to ensure Rhode Island has a seat at the table.”

“Getting a seat at the MAFMC table would be a major win for Rhode Island’s fishermen,” said Congressman Cicilline. “The loss of restaurant revenue during this pandemic has devastated our commercial fishing and seafood industries. Rhode Island fishermen have worked hard to overcome these challenges this year, and including them on the Council will give them an even better opportunity to succeed.”

The catch of Rhode Island commercial fishermen represents a significant percentage of commercial landings of the Mid-Atlantic fishery, and is greater than most of the states represented on the Council. According to data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), between 2014 and 2018, Rhode Island accounted for approximately a quarter of the commercial landings by value from stocks under the MAFMC’s sole jurisdiction.

According to a 2019 report from NOAA’s commercial landings database: There were 32 million pounds of squid landed by Rhode Island fishermen with a value of $31 million. This represents about 40 percent of the state’s total commercial fisheries landings by pounds and 28 percent of total landings value.

Without representation on the MAFMC, Rhode Island cannot participate fully in development of fishery management plans for Mid-Atlantic stocks, many of which are crucial to the Rhode Island seafood economy.

The Rhode Island Fishermen Fairness Act would add two places for Rhode Island representation to the 21 member Council. One seat would be appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce under recommendations from Rhode Island’s Governor. The second seat would be filled by Rhode Island’s principal state official with marine fishery management responsibility. To accommodate these new members, the MAFMC would increase in size from 21 voting members to 23.

Call for Butterfish & Squid Working Group Members

October 6, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are currently soliciting working group members for both the butterfish and Illex squid research track stock assessments. The research track peer review meeting will occur in November 2021.

If you are interested in being a member of either working group, please fill out the online questionnaire (a Google form) by October 16, 2020.

The specific tasking for the butterfish and Illex squid working groups is detailed in the questionnaire.

The Role of Working Groups in Northeast Fishery Stock Assessment

Working groups carry out the analytical work required for the stock assessment or topic, including developing and implementing the research plan and terms of reference that are provided by the Northeast Region Coordinating Council.

Questions?

Contact Michele Traver, Northeast Fisheries Science Center