Where is your squid coming from? Most likely unregulated
waters, according to a new international study

New research fuses multiple data sources to advance understanding of the expanding footprintof global squid fleets
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Scientists and policymakers have voiced growing concerns about thedecline of global squid stocks, but little has been done to date to target squid fishing activities
that are expanding into unregulated spaces, according to a new international study.
The study, lead-authored by Katherine Seto, an assistant professor of environmental studies at
the University of California, Santa Cruz, was published in Science Advances on March 10. It
explores the unregulated nature of global squid fisheries across three oceans over a three-year
period, and how these fisheries continue to grow and shift locations beyond the jurisdiction ofmanagement bodies. The research was conducted through a research partnership between
Global Fishing Watch, the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security at theUniversity of Wollongong, and the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency.
Using satellite imagery, vessel tracking, and data monitoring, the study found that the fishingconducted by this globalized light-luring squid fishery was extensive, fishing between 149,000251,000 vessel days annually, and that effort increased 68% over the study period from 20172020.
“These squid fisheries are highly mobile, fishing multiple oceans within a given year,” said Seto.
“While some conservation and management measures are in place to regulate this type offishing, our research found that actors may take advantage of these fragmented regulations tomaximize resource extraction. To address this, we need to address the factors that promote thegrowth and expansion of fishing efforts, and increase data sharing and communication between
management entities.”
The study found that these squid fishing vessels fished largely (86%) in unregulated areas,
equating to 4.4 million total hours of fishing time between 2017-2020. While unregulated fishingis not necessarily illegal, it presents challenges for fisheries sustainability and resource equity,and has been connected to questionable human rights and labor practices.
"By synthesizing data from multiple sources, we created a robust picture of the fishing activity of
the high seas squid fleets. Our analysis highlights the interconnectedness of fishing grounds
used by the fleets,” said Nate Miller, head of applied research at Global Fishing Watch and coauthor of the study. “It demonstrates the critical importance of comprehensive data sharing
agreements between regional bodies for improving understanding of the movements of thesevessels and quantifying their impacts on squid stocks.”
One major challenge has been the vessels freely fishing between regulated and unregulated
spaces, fishing huge amounts of squid with little to no oversight or data reporting. Fishing in
unregulated areas has also steadily increased and seems to be preferred despite concerns overstock status, according to the study.

“These unregulated fishing activities require urgent action. They occur in our global commons,shared by all, yet few receive any benefit, and neighboring coastal States are increasinglyconcerned regarding the impact on their own shared fish stocks,” said study co-author Quentin
Hanich, from the University of Wollongong.
Masanori Miyahara, a co-author and advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries of Japan, agrees.
“These catches are often not reported to domestic or international management bodies, nor are
they incorporated into estimates of fishing effort, harvest, or stock status,” said Miyahara. “While
it is good to see both the North Pacific Fisheries Commission and the South Pacific Regional
Fisheries Management Organisation strengthen their management, urgent responses are also
required in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans to ensure that fleets do not simply evade regulation
by moving elsewhere.”
As we experience an increased demand for seafood products globally, we must understand thefactors that facilitate the increase and expansion of fishing efforts to address the challenges ofunregulated fishing, according to the study.
“Like all activities in the global commons, fishing on the high seas should be fully regulated. Yet
the regional bodies with the competence to adopt management measures are restrained by ahandful of states whose self-interests are best served when such activities are unregulated ordone with few limits,” said Osvaldo Urrutia S., professor of international law at Pontificia
Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Chile. “The global squid fishery shows how important it isto strengthen regional management of high seas resources and to continue international calls
for states and regional bodies to take this challenge seriously.”
For more information:
Lisa Tossey, Communications Manager, Global Fishing Watch
lisa.tossey@globalfishingwatch.org+1 302.448.6638 Mobile
Elisa Smith, Communications Lead, University of California, Santa Cruz
esmith16@ucsc.edu+1 916.673.9835 Office
Notes to the editor:● A copy of the paper, “Fishing through the cracks: The unregulated nature of global squidfisheries” can be found online at https://www.eurekalert.org/press/vancepak. Journalists willneed their user ID and password to access this information.
A global research university, UC Santa Cruz is part of the world’s most celebrated system of
public higher education, earning international recognition for groundbreaking discoveries,
creative scholarship, and an uncommon commitment to teaching and public service.
https://www.ucsc.edu/
Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean
governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly
sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research andtransform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be publicknowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all.
www.globalfishingwatch.org

The University of Wollongong’s Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security(ANCORS) is a globally recognised academic centre of excellence for ocean governance andfisheries management, maritime security, marine dispute resolution and maritime crime
prevention. ANCORS is the primary, multidisciplinary centre for academic, professional andindustry expertise in ocean law, policy and governance in the Southern Hemisphere.
https://www.uow.edu.au/ancors/Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA) is a public organization, established onApril 1, 2016 through a merger of the Fisheries Research Agency (originated from 9 institutes ofFisheries Agency of Japan, Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries since 1949) and theNational Fisheries University. The FRA aims to maximize research and development (R&D)
outcomes as the only comprehensive fisheries R&D organization in Japan. The FRA iscontributing to the revival of Japan as a nation of fisheries by maximizing R&D outcomes.
https://www.fra.affrc.go.jp/eng/index.html