Indian Ocean squid on the rise in the Chinese market

"The IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission) is the regional fisheries management organization tasked with ensuring effective management of tuna resources in the Indian Ocean. China is also a member. Many Chinese fishing vessels are authorized by the IOTC, but mainly tuna trawlers and tuna longline vessels. The Partridge said.

"Our report is a big step forward in getting a better grasp of the scale of fisheries in the Indian Ocean. Compared to the AIS reports of a few years ago, this new report provides photographic documentation, identifies the size of the boat, sees some bycatch and is certainly more compelling." The Partridge said.

The species caught in the Indian Ocean is different from commercially available squid and Argentine squid, known in the industry as Uroteuthis duvaucelii.

A source said: "As far as I know, squid in the Indian Ocean have only been harvested in the last two or three years. It's relatively poor quality, it's large, it's high in moisture, it's low in price, typically 60 to 70 percent of Peruvian squid, and it sells for $1,200 a ton at its peak."

"There's about 100,000 tons of squid a year in the Indian Ocean. There's no problem. Production has been stable in recent years, but we have not processed Indian Ocean squid, mainly because of its low quality." He added.

Another source said the supply of Indian Ocean squid in the Chinese market has increased significantly in recent years, while the supply of other species has more or less declined.

"In the past, Indian Ocean squid was just a sub-species in the tuna fishery. After 2018-19, Indian Ocean squid production increased dramatically. In the same year, squid production in China declined and the overall price rose, creating conditions for Indian Ocean squid to enter the Chinese market."

"Indian Ocean squid has two advantages, one is high yield and the other is low price. "Those who sell Indian Ocean squid are generally able to ensure a steady supply, and that's why they are becoming a popular target for ocean fleets."

According to the TMT report, many squid fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean intermittently shut down the AIS, resulting in a deterioration in the quality of information identification and posing challenges for fisheries regulation. Many fishing boats are transshipment and loading at sea, and a few of them have traces of entering the exclusive economic zones of Oman and Yemen. Chinese research vessels also regularly patrol the area.

TMT argues that the limited management and regulation of squid fishing in the northwest Indian Ocean, with the start of the 2021-22 squid season, poses a threat not only to the sustainability of squid stocks but also to other fisheries in the region.