A recent annual meeting of the fisheries regulator for the South Pacific tackled a familiar challenge: how to manage one of the world’s largest squid fisheries before mounting pressure turns it into a depleted one. The meeting produced some new safeguards, though much of the hard work still lies ahead, reports Francesco De Augustinis.
The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO) oversees fishing across roughly 59 million square kilometers (22 million square miles) of the South Pacific high seas, trying to impose order on a region double the size of Africa, where distant-water fleets pursue species ranging from jack mackerel to jumbo flying squid. The latter dominated this year’s talks.
Fishing for jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. The number of squid-jigging vessels operating in SPRFMO waters rose from 14 in 2000 to more than 500 last year, almost all of them flying the Chinese flag. Meanwhile, reported catches have fallen markedly, from more than 1 million metric tons in 2014 to about 600,000 metric tons in 2024. Scientists worry that fishing pressure is outpacing knowledge of the stock.
In response, SPRFMO members agreed to lower the maximum number of vessels allowed to fish for squid in the region, from 766 to 651, and reduce the fleet’s combined tonnage. Dave Gershman of The Pew Charitable Trusts, attending the meeting as an observer, called the decision a recognition that the fishery needs closer oversight. Yet the measure may have little immediate effect: the current fleet is already smaller than the new cap.
A deeper problem remains unresolved. The SPRFMO’s scientific committee again failed to complete a stock-assessment framework for the species, leaving regulators without the information needed to set catch limits. Artisanal fishing groups in South America warned that delays risk undermining the livelihoods of tens of thousands of fishers who depend on the squid fishery.
The meeting also addressed mounting scrutiny of labor conditions aboard squid vessels. Investigations by environmental groups and journalists have documented violence, withheld wages and other abuses. Members agreed to expand monitoring of fishing vessels, combining human observers with electronic systems that can track activity at sea. The program will begin modestly, covering 5% of fishing days in 2027 and doubling two years later.
Additional measures strengthened port inspections and information sharing between governments to curb illegal fishing. Calls for greater transparency about vessel ownership went unanswered.
Progress elsewhere proved slower. Plans to finalize a science-based harvest strategy for jack mackerel were postponed again. Debate over bottom trawling, which can damage deep-sea corals and sponges, also ended without agreement.
For now, the SPRFMO has taken incremental steps. Whether these are enough to safeguard the region’s fisheries remains uncertain. Members have promised to revisit squid management in 2027.
Banner image: A Peruvian artisanal fisher poses with a jumbo flying squid. Image courtesy of National Society of Artisanal Fishing of Peru (SONAPESCAL).
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