Climate Change May Impact Global Squid Production

   Squid, cuttlefish, and octopus, all familiar to everyone, belong to the cephalopods, meaning "animals with legs on their heads." Their long tentacles are used for walking, grasping, and holding, and are directly connected to the head-this is the most distinctive characteristic of cephalopods. They have relatively short life cycles and are not only important global fishery resources but also play a vital ecological role in the ocean.

   Taking the Northwest Pacific squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) as an example, its annual cephalopod catch fluctuates significantly across different climatic years due to the high influence of climate change and marine environmental changes. Under the background of climate change events, squid catch fluctuations are strongly affected. The interannual variation in squid resource levels is synergistically controlled by climate events such as El Niño, La Niña, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Similarly, the catches of other important pelagic economic cephalopods, such as the stem squid, the Pacific pleated squid, and the Argentine slippery squid, are also significantly affected by climate events. On December 4, 2025, the World Meteorological Organization released its latest forecast, stating that the probability of a weak La Niña event occurring within the next three months was 55%. As of mid-November, ocean and atmospheric indicators had reached the critical threshold for La Niña. Although La Niña typically brings temporary cooling, many regions will continue to experience warmer-than-average weather. La Niña refers to a widespread and sustained abnormal cooling of the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean.

   La Niña leads to increased interannual fluctuations in resource quantities in various sea areas, potentially rendering traditional fishing grounds ineffective and increasing the difficulty of fisheries management and fishing decisions. Increased uncertainty in the location and size of fishing grounds leads to increased search time and fuel costs for fishing vessels. Increased severe weather also poses safety risks. Changes in production in major producing regions (such as Argentina and Peru) will affect the global squid supply, causing fluctuations in international market prices and impacting the processing trade supply chain.