Landings in the sound have definitely been down the past two years. Additionally, there was much more pressure on squid this year due to the transition to sector management- many boats were squid fishing when they'd normally be going for groundfish because they weren't sure just how the new regulations were going to work.
I also noticed a decrease in shore squid- I remember in 2007 I could go to the calamari causeway in the middle of the day and fill half a bucket in a couple hours. 2008, 09... Just caught a few. Same results in WH this past spring. I didn't have any problems getting them from the boat, however... ask Mr. Rockcrawler about our 2009 boat trip
While I'm sure commercial fishing definitely is having an effect on the stocks, I wonder if it could also just be part of a cyclical pattern? Loligo fishing has traditionally had its ups and downs.
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