Pacific market squid
Although the stock status of the Pacific market squid is unknown, squid have a fast growth rate and short lifespan – they naturally replace their entire population each year – so they are not as susceptible to overfishing as many fish species are. Most of the vessels in the California market squid fishery use roundhaul gear, which involves the use of purse seines to encircle and capture entire schools of squid. The vessels often use powerful lights to attract squid to the surface of the water at night, where they can be easily caught. This technique usually allows fishermen to keep the nets near the surface of the water, rather than dragging them along the seafloor where they would cause bottom damage and catch other marine wildlife unintentionally. Bycatch – the unintentional catch of other types of fish and wildlife – is generally low in this fishery.
