Squid season closes as fishery reaches harvest limit early
After a banner year, squid season ended at noon Friday.
That’s when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife expected fishermen to reach the seasonal harvest limit of 118,000 tons. The department tracks catches and closes the season when the limit is reached.
This year marked the earliest closure since the harvest limit was imposed in 2005. The fishery has reached the limit for the past several years, but not until November or December. A new season starts each April.
While squid fishing tends to have its busiest months during the fall and winter in Southern California, that changed this year.
“The squid showed up early in the summer months in Southern California,” said Briana Brady, a senior environmental scientist with Fish and Wildlife.
The fishing industry also worked hand-in-hand with the state this year to accurately track the daily catch, said Diane Pleschner-Steele, executive director of the nonprofit California Wetfish Producers Association based in Buellton.
Processors are required by law to report numbers twice a month. But this year, they sent in totals daily to help keep a more accurate count, she said.
Preliminary figures showed market squid landings had hit nearly 109,000 tons on Tuesday.
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