Flying jumbo squid landing.
Giant squid exports forecast for USD 500 million for 2018
PERU
Monday, December 10, 2018, 23:50 (GMT + 9)
Peruvian exports of products made from giant squid could reach USD 500 million this year, according to forecasts by the Committee for the Management of the Southern Pacific Jumbo Flying Squid (CALAMASUR) chairperson Alfonso Miranda.
“It is the first species for human consumption with added value in the country and the one that offers more work to the fishing sector," he said.
According to Miranda, in the eastern Pacific Ocean approximately one million tonnes of jumbo flying squid or Peruvian squid (Dosicidus gigas) are caught, of which Peru contributes 45 per cent.
Recently, CALAMASUR member countries -- Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Chile - - presented in Santiago, Chile, a series of measures aimed at making the fishing of this mollusk sustainable in the region.
Miranda pointed out that the giant squid has unpredictable fluctuations in its location and density, so he proposed the Institute of Marine Affairs of Peru (IMARPE) to carry out a through study in Peru as well as the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO).
Map showing in yellow the areas where this species capture is concentrated. It is important to highlight the area in international waters where fleets of various Asian countries operate.
It is estimated that giant squid catches in the South Pacific can reach up to one million tonnes, although the actual figure can not be specified due to the presence of a fleet of Asian countries whose catches may not be declared or reported," said the Committee chairperson, according to Andina.
Annual landing of giant squid by the artisanal fleet between 2013-2017. (Source: Produce)
The giant squid has a short life cycle, with a maximum longevity of two years, and the presence of at least two generations is detected simultaneously. This mollusk, which is particularly carnivorous, has a high growth rate and reaches large sizes, of 97 centimetres in length and 37 kilos of whole weight.
At the recent CALAMASUR annual meeting in Santiago, Chile, as a member country, Mexico was joined, and gaps in knowledge about the biology of the resource, deficiencies in the exchange of data between countries and the lack of an agreed model for squid population evaluation were analyzed.
“We are concerned that the lack of monitoring and control of the fleet in international waters encourages illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The most delicate aspect is the confrontation with the unfair competition of the distant water fleet coming from China, Taiwan and South Korea," said Miranda.
At the recent CALAMASUR annual meeting, David Epstein Waisman was also chosen as the delegate of Peruvian industry before the aforementioned committee and Roberto Rumiche as delegate of the artisanal fishing industry.
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