Artisanal fishermen catching giant squid (dosidicus gigas). Photo: Global Fishing Watch

CALAMASUR in favor of limiting the fishing of the Giant Squid for its sustainability

PERU
Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 10:00 (GMT + 9)

In an international meeting they will discuss the key issues for its management and conservation.

The peruvian newspaper 'Gestión', reported today in an article that the main fishing companies in the world linked to the acquisition of the giant squid (Dosidicus gigas), in a letter sent to the Heads of Delegation of the Regional Organization of Fisheries Management of the South Pacific (SPRFMO for its acronym in English) recognized that the sustainability of the fishery for this species in the coastal countries where it is extracted and processed, is key to the healthy functioning of the marine ecosystem as well as to their economies.

The aforementioned international entity began its annual virtual plenary sessions on January 21, which will last until February 3.

They also recalled that at the 8th annual meeting of the SPRFMO Commission, held in the Republic of Vanuatu in February last year, the first Conservation and Management Measure (MMCG) was adopted for squid in international waters of the South Pacific. .

They assured that this measure will regulate the scientific observers of the fleets that catch giant squid or cuttlefish in international waters, which is an important first step to address some of the key science and management needs of this fishery.

"However, we have observed that, to date, SPRFMO has not adopted a resolution that manages the squid fishery by restricting catches or effort in any way," they said.

In this regard, the president of the Committee for the Sustainable Management of the Giant Squid of the South Pacific (CALAMASUR), Alfonso Miranda, agreed with what was recalled by the group of companies regarding that the SPRFMO adopted a simple, precautionary and temporary provisional management measure before of the formal establishment of SPRFMO for the horse mackerel fishery, whereby members committed to limit the total level of gross tonnage to that operated by each flag until 2007.

"But the largest fishery by volume managed by SPRFMO, the giant squid, lacks such control," he stated.

 

Giant squid (dosidicus gigas) trading companies noted that the North Pacific Fisheries Commission, formally constituted in 2015, has already fully implemented a MMCG that requires a preventive effort limit for the Japanese giant squid fishery and that until At the moment, attempts to introduce preventive effort limitation proposals for the giant squid fishery in the SPRFMO Convention area have been blocked.

Giant squid (dosidicus gigas) on the deck of a fishing boat. Peruvian artisanal fishermen catching Pota. Photo: Global Fishing Watch

In the aforementioned letter, the signatory companies have expressed support for the proposal presented by the EU to modify CMM 18-2020 on the management of giant squid.

Miranda Eyzaguirre assured that the amendment proposal is a positive step in the right direction, but that it should leave the possibility for coastal countries to develop their own fleet to develop their activities in the area under the organization's jurisdiction.

Artisanal operator opening a giant squid to make clean fillet

"Failure to introduce an effort limitation measure at the next SPRFMO Commission meeting will leave squid or cuttlefish fishing at increasing risk of serious overfishing," he warned.

Global squid buyers argued that failure to limit fishing effort would jeopardize the reputation of SPRFMO, companies within the international supply chain, and the livelihoods, food security and well-being of thousands of families and their communities in the coastal states.

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