Another fishery in the crapper

[cheferson]

So last years squid run sucked, this year it was non-existent . Yesterday we got a email from our seafood provider Foley fish . He said that with in the next 7-10 days the domestic supply of all-natural calimari will run out. Out of the 41 million pound quota from maine to NC , 8 months in only 8 million pounds landed! Typically half the quota is caught during the april-may run . Not this year. This caused the supply to just squeak by all summer. The last few weeks there has been a complete lack of landings. As of today the 5 east coast processors have no stock at all! Will probably not have more till the run picks up again in mid-oct, even then who knows?!

This is the first time in my culinary career there has been a squid shortage . Also the first in Foley's 12 year calimari program! When I first started cooking , squid was dirt cheap! Now , its just under $5 a pound!!

[Rob Rockcrawler]

Wow, i had no idea that the season was so miserable for squid.

[basswipe]

The demand for squid is very high.20 years ago a resteraunt with calamari on the menu would've been a rarity.Now try and find even the cheapest joint that doesn't have it on the menu.

[Clammer]

you want to see the crap/squid I got from my dealer last week ................. I thought it was west coast junk .but he said no >>local ,,,,,,,but they don,t have anything good & that landings have sucked ;
My guess is /he could go under because @ least 805 of his busjness is squid relater ;;

[Raven]

A delicacy......... therefore gone

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Found it kind of weird that there were TONS of squid this year way up a BIG river NOT WESTPORT in brackish water. And they stayed for a long time. Usually there is no squid at all not even 15-20 miles up river from there. And if there are some that far it's usually only a sighting of a couple. Like I said I found it real weird. They didn't just go away. Maybe they are re-locating for some strange reason. A population doesn't become this scarce in a year or 2. They are acting funny if you ask me.

[Green Light]

The Earl effect?

[Mr. Sandman]

Squid are WAY over fished. I have counted 22 squid boats working a square mile of water...how is it possible that any squid are aournd?

To manage this specices correctly, they must not fish them until AFTER they spwan. Yes, they only live 18-24 months or so but these boats are on them the moment they show up to spawn...
If they can't figure out how to do this, they must stop fishing for them all together. end of story.

[cheferson]

I guess they are bringing in some squid from paraguay that is processed in RI , but is 2x frozen. SO the quality will suck! Doughbt we will use it , prob just be off the menu for a while . Never thought id see a squid shortage .

Really disgusts me on the management of our natural resources and their environment .

[numbskull]

Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds are a (maybe THE?) prime spawning area for squid in MA. For 20 years now they have been hammered each spring. Migrating striped bass no longer have any reason to come down the Sound. Fishing reflects it.

[cheferson]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds are a (maybe THE?) prime spawning area for squid in MA. For 20 years now they have been hammered each spring. Migrating striped bass no longer have any reason to come down the Sound. Fishing reflects it.

Just like the crap year here in Narragansett Bay . No squid run , bass just seemed to mostly pass the bay not following the squid up the bay like normal.

Humans are the cancer of the world......

[Saltheart]

Originally Posted by cheferson

I guess they are bringing in some squid from paraguay that is processed in RI , but is 2x frozen. SO the quality will suck! Doughbt we will use it , prob just be off the menu for a while . Never thought id see a squid shortage .

Really disgusts me on the management of our natural resources and their environment .

Why do they have to 2X freeze? I would think that would give you almost mush after the second thaw.

[cheferson]

not sure why as haven't got a sample yet. I imagine they freeze it after caught whole, then defrost here in state to clean/process it? Then freeze again? Will let you know once I hear more.

[Nebe]

Chef.. I talked to someone today who is in the squid business.. This time of year every year, there is a shortage of squid. The real sign that we are in trouble will be next spring.

[cheferson]

Not like this in the past 12+ years. Sure there may be shortages in between runs , but they have none stockpiled like they usually do . There were no 2+ month periods any of the previous few years where we had no domestic squid.

[Nebe]

Right.. the issue was there was a crappy winter run.

[slow eddie]

good question on the squid. just why are they frozen 2x?
i do know that this spring that the boats were lined up one after another by moonstone for 3 days. never saw that many eggs at deep hole like we generally see. and the run was very short compared to normal.
don't tell me that this is another species that's being overfished before they spawn.

[Nebe]

I think that the squid fishery is not part of catch share based sector fishing, so it's a free for all.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I think that the squid fishery is not part of catch share based sector fishing, so it's a free for all.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

you are correct that squid is not in sectors, but it is a limited access fishery.

[JackK]

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.

[Typhoon]

I also work in the seafood business.

There's small domestic 3-5 t&t but none of the chefs wanted that size. Everyone demanded 5-7s.

So yes there's still squid around if you can live with the smaller size.

What I find criminal is that the biggest seafood chain synonymous with new england that rhymes with beagle serves the cheap chinese 3 x frozen shoe leather.