On topic: Squid invades Chile!

Joined
Oct 7, 2004
Messages
2,580
Jumbo flying squid invasion threatens hake

Chilean Fisheries Undersecretary Felipe Sandoval warned about the massive presence of jumbo flying squids -one of the most aggressive giant squid predators- in the southern area of the country, between the Regions X and XI, from Port Montt and Guafo Island.
"We deeply regret having to confirm this bit of information” announced the Undersecretary after reviewing the results of the hydro-acoustic surveys carried out by the Southern University of Chile (UACH) on jumbo flying squid concentrations in waters off the Chiloé Isle.
Researchers estimate the presence of this resource surpasses 330,000 tonnes, which is deemed a “clear indicator the magnitude of the grouping in the area and of its predatory potential capacity over the regional species of fishery interest”.
According to sources from the Undersecretariat of Fisheries (SUBPESCA), jumbo flying squid is moving south from the north of the country, thus invading the whole Chilean littoral.
So far local artisanal fishing sector is the most affected by the massive presence of the jumbo flying squid because the only resource they are catching is southern hake on which the giant squid feeds exclusively. The head of SUBPESCAs Management Division Wilma Correa said that giant squid live around one year and a half on average.
"It has been estimated that the 300,000 tonnes of squid in the area can consume between one million tonnes and one and a half million tonnes of southern hake in one year."
Although SUBPESCA authorities have proposed that foreign factory vessels equipped with sophisticated technology come to Chile to selectively catch the squids, the Senate had decided to suspend the discussion of the law including this initiative, indefinitely. "More things could have been done, but the delay of the Fishery Law has legally tied our hands. Jumbo flying squid has to be fought, across the board, and if it is not stopped, our catches will be markedly reduced, as it has occurred in other parts of the world”, said Mr. Sandoval.
However, Marcel Claude executive director of Fundación Océana explanations given by authorities are “politically irresponsible and scientifically incompetent.”
"There is no scientific data to support what has been said, rather political reasons and that is to hide and dilute SUBPESCA and the Ministry of Economy responsibilities, by supporting a fishery law that “clearly prevents fisheries resource conservation and artisanal fishers socio-economic sustainability”, Claude told El Llanquihue newspaper. He also mentioned that two years ago fishermen from Chaitén took advantage of another jumbo flying squid invasion in the area catching them to use as bait to fish for the skate species. (FIS/MP)

From: Merco-Press
http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=5829
 
chrono_war01 said:
So far local artisanal fishing sector is the most affected by the massive presence of the jumbo flying squid because the only resource they are catching is southern hake on which the giant squid feeds exclusively.

Gee, the show I saw on the discovery channel last night didn't mention them exclusively eating hake. In fact, it did explicitly mention them eating krill, which are not hake, last I checked. I'm pretty sure they're happy to eat just about any tasty fish or crustacean they can catch, and if they're frenzied, they'll eat each other (and any humans in the water) but apparently that's unusual behavior they show near fishing boats.

Of course, it may be true that if they're hanging out where the Chilean fisherman know is a good place to catch lots of hake, they're probably eating them... that seems plausible. But the "exclusively" thing is pure FUD !
 
to a Squid a shark is just another fish
if they use standard tactics a shark would pose no threat to a 6 ft Humbolt
remeber though that not all sharks at 17 foot long great whites
plenty of sharks in the ocean dont get that big
and even great whites were small before they got big
so to a 6 ft humbolt a 4 ft shark is just a fish with an attitude
 
chrono_war01 said:
are they really big enough to tackle sharks in numbers? Or did that squid in the video did it for some other reason?
A squid will often tackle things as big or bigger than themselves! They attack the head, kill, discard the head and then fillet the rest!

And they will attack in packs too! Some will get the original prey.....some will turn cannibal!

j
 
UH-OH! GIANT SQUID INVADING CHILE!! CALL HOMELAND SECURITY!!

*ahem* Sorry, Eric. Just being a bit bitter.

You know, sensationalism in the news is getting a bit out of hand. I mean, rather than... oh, I don't know... STUDY?... these beasties and the phenomenon of their migration and such, our first instinct is to have the government mobilize the Death Rays.

*sigh* Still waiting for my squid with a FREAKIN' laser beam on its... Uh... where would you put a FREAKIN' laser beam on a squid anyway??

Sushi and FREAKIN' Sake,

John
 
Wasn't it Pipsquek on another thread who said something about wanting to give these squid a taste for human flesh..? Or was that me? Now there's a potentially practical application for watermen the world over, but how would we get the dosidicus inland to feed? As for where one would mount the FREAKIN laser beams, I think the answer would come from trying to teach the squid to hold them in their clubs and use them at will. I'm NOT volunteering for that educational assignment. I think you would have a safer and more rewarding time trying to teach the students in the LAUSD (although not by much)! Also regarding the FREAKIN laser beams, examination of stomach contents show that squid will eat pretty much anything, but does this culinary liberalism also apply to cooked food?

I do remember still footage taken at great depth of a large arrow squid taking down a rather small shark. I believe this was in National Geographic some years back. Anyone remember this issue? It wasn't a photograph, really, but some kind of deep-water imaging of a tethered lure with a chum-spout.
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top