Research Document - 2002/131
A review of the biology of opal squid (Loligo opalescens Berry), and of selected Loliginid squid fisheries.
By Walthers, L.C., and Gillespie, G.E.
Abstract
Opal squid are relatively small, short-lived squids that are found only on the west coast of North America, from Baja California to southeastern Alaska. They are most abundant off California, where they are the basis of a large fishery worth US $20-30 million annually. They live approximately 1 year, are terminal spawners, and the squid are fished while aggregated for mass spawning. The distribution, biology, abundance and ecology of opal squid in British Columbia is not well known, although they have been a minor bait fishery for decades.
Opal squid are particularly difficult to assess and manage because of their short life span. Stock-recruit relationships are weak, and likely driven by environmental conditions. Abundance, distribution and movements are not known, in part because opal squid are small and highly motile, evading sampling gear traditionally used in surveys for other species. Age can be determined using statoliths, but it is a time-consuming, specialized process that makes the use of ages in routine assessments too expensive. Protracted spawning and differing growth rates within an annual cohort make use of length-based methods very difficult. The State of California recently spent millions of dollars over three years to develop recommendations for research and assessment and a proposed management plan for the species.
The opal squid fishery in British Columbia is managed through gear restrictions, hail requirements to open areas for fishing and catch monitoring. Number of licences issued, effort and landings have all declined since the mid-1990s, to the point where coast-wide landings data cannot be released publicly because fewer than three vessels submit records. Primary management concerns are quality of catch monitoring, bycatch and adverse impacts of gear on habitat. Opal squid are the last remaining commercial invertebrate fishery that has unlimited licence issue; there are no proactive controls in place to check expansion of the fishery should market demand change.
Several options are suggested to managers: status quo, active development of the fishery (with associated assessment and management frameworks), effort limitation, or complete closure of the fishery in the absence of assessment and management frameworks. Recommendations presented include: the fishery should not be allowed to expand in the absence of assessment and management frameworks; development of the fishery should be in context of the policy for New and Developing Fisheries; the ecosystem impacts of fisheries development should be considered; and continued monitoring of management systems in other Loligo fisheries to guide assessment and management framework development in British Columbia.
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