[News]: The cod's off, but fishermen are hoping that squid's in - Times Online

[octobot]

The cod's off, but fishermen are hoping that squid's in
[SIZE=-1]Times Online, UK - 11 hours ago[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The squid may not look particularly handsome but it has been turning up in large numbers off the coast of Britain. Amid general despair at the decline of ...[/SIZE]


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[tonmo]

Under a nice photo is the caption, "Sometimes they are in a frenzy, sometimes they are cautious -I get the feeling they are very smart"

 

[Jean]

Intersting but this sort of article always worries me tho' there is a general assumption that squid because they only live 1 year or so can be fished willy nilly as they would be "wasted" otherwise. But no one ever seems to take into account that they spawn only once and often at the end of their life so that many will not have spawned before being caught. In my research a staggering 96% of the squid (from commercial catches) were stage 4 (maturing) or less. A late stage 4 animal may (only may) have spawned some reproductive material............I would guess that this would be the same the world over........worrying eh?

J

 

[tonmo]

Thanks Jean -- I still haven't figured out the right tone we should take on this. I had once actually considered creating a dedicated Squid Fishing forum -- what we'd discuss there, I have no idea, but the interest is out there... Hey, where are the squid hot! Post your squid fishing photos! That already exists here. I quickly came to the realization that such discussion doesn't jibe here and so abandoned that idea!

This isn't exactly "Marine Conservation" but it's wafting in that general area... I'm all for posting your findings in an article here, Jean. Would be happy to share your research and raise awareness.

 

[Jean]

wellllllll I am writing some papers and a fisheries one is planned, but it's taking rather longer than I expected (mainly because I write too much and then have to cut it down to publishable sizes!) I promise I'll send drafts out when they are readable. But it may take some time as my teaching load is much heavier this semester.

J

 

[tonmo]

I'll be here!