The Global Squid Supply Chain Roundtable is a combination of two former SRs, one covering Asia-Pacific and the other covering South American squid fisheries. The combination took effect in March 2017 following a joint SR meeting at Seafood Expo North America in Boston.
Both SRs were initiated by European squid importers and buyers—along with North American importers and buyers for the Asia-Pacific region—who recognize that addressing many of the sustainability challenges found in the world’s squid fisheries will require a collaborative, precompetitive approach from industry stakeholders.
Early efforts focused on the Chinese mitre squid, Japanese flying squid, and Peruvian jumbo flying squid fisheries, as these were important fisheries to many of the initial SR members. Participating importers and buyers were able to engage and communicate to their Chinese and Peruvian domestic suppliers and national fishing authorities in both countries regarding the importance of sustainability to the global market.
While initial SR efforts were focused on promoting fishery improvement projects in these specific squid fisheries, some companies participated in SR meetings despite having no association with the fisheries. These companies hope to take lessons learned from this experience and apply them to other squid fisheries in the region once the SR has developed a first assessment of these fisheries (through FishSource profiles) and the SR’s efforts expand.
The T75 sector report for squid details the state of the sector. Based on 2014 production data, 12,040 tonnes, or 0.3 percent of the global production, are currently considered sustainable or improving, using publicly available information on MSC status and FIP progress ratings reviewed in early October 2017. The US Northeast Longfin Inshore Squid Bottom Trawl Fishery is MSC certified.
Fisheries and/or FIPs Covered:
At present, the roundtable focuses on a number of squid fisheries found worldwide. The following FIPs are supported and monitored:
Shantou-Taiwan Chinese common squid - jigging/single trawl FIP
Mexico Gulf of California giant squid jig FIP
Peruvian Jumbo Flying Squid (pre-FIP status)
East China Sea and Yellow Sea Japanese flying squid trawl prospective FIP
Improvement Needs:
Asia-Pacific
- Address data deficiency in areas of recruitment, landings data, fishing effort, bycatch, gear impacts, identifying spawning zones, and PET species interactions.
- Based on data collection, implement and enforce the regulation of fishing effort, as well as seasonal and fishing zone closures to protect spawning stocks.
- Strengthen enforcement of existing squid fishery regulations, including closed fishing areas and seasons in order to address IUU fishing.
- Work with domestic supply chains in producing countries to engage distant water squid fleets in high seas improvement efforts.
South America
- Develop fishery assessments for Patagonian squid (Loligo gahi) fisheries.
- Update fishery assessments on the jumbo flying squid (Dosidcus gigas) fisheries.
- Strengthen enforcement of existing national squid fishery regulations and EEZ waters control in order to minimize impacts at stock level of the fishing activity happening in international waters.
- Mobilize Argentine Shortfin (Illex argentinus) fishing countries to collectively establish RFMO-type management body for high seas fisheries.
- Strengthen regulatory and enforcement management of regional and international waters of Jumbo Flying squid fisheries at the South Pacific RFMO level.
Current Objectives: 
In general, the Global Squid Supply Chain Roundtable objectives focus on monitoring sustainability status and issues relating to the region’s squid fisheries, engaging supply chains and local producers in fishery improvement efforts, and monitoring the progress of current squid FIP efforts toward long-term sustainability of squid in domestic and international markets.
In South America, the SR has the following overall goals:
- Support the efforts of the Sociedad Nacional de Industrias (SNI) to set up a FIP for the Peruvian jumbo flying squid fishery.
- Develop and update squid fisheries assessments as a first step to identify areas in need of improvement in South American squid fisheries.
- Support the efforts of Committee for the Sustainable Management of the Southern Pacific Jumbo Flying Squid (CALAMSUR) to improve management and enforcement at the RFMO level.
- Engage Chinese and South Korean fleets operating in international waters in improvement efforts for Argentine shortfin & jumbo flying squid.
In particular, objectives through the end of 2018 are as follows:
- Support the establishment a FIP in the Argentine Shortfin squid within Argentinian EEZ waters.
- Support the efforts of Chinese (Shantou) Mitre Squid FIP and secure participation and funding from relevant SR participants and supply chains.
- Ensure all squid FIPs under the SR are maintaining a minimum “B” (Good) SFP FIP Progress Rating.
- Support the efforts of the East China Sea and Yellow Sea Japanese flying squid trawl prospective FIP.
- Ensure the Peruvian jumbo flying squid fishery FIP work plan and reporting publically available on Fisheryprogress.org.
- Encourage and support IMARPE’s efforts to develop a stock assessment model that is applicable in assessing stock status of all Jumbo Flying squid fisheries under South Pacific RFMO influence.
- Fully develop FishSource profiles for Patagonian squid (Loligo gahi) and Indian squid (Loligo duvauceli) fisheries and evaluate improvement needs for those fisheries.
Action Recommendations for Suppliers:
- Work with supply chains to initiate FIPs in fisheries where improvements are needed.
- When sourcing from squid fisheries that are managed under seasonal closures, SR participants should ensure suppliers implement no-purchase policies during fishing moratoriums.
- Exported squid products from the region are often sourced from a mix of various squid fisheries, so importers and buyers should ensure that their suppliers can identify the individual source fisheries.
- Reach out to other supply chain companies to encourage their participation and engagement on the SR.
- Publically support the setting up of a FIP on the Peruvian jumbo flying squid fishery and work with Peruvian national industry to encourage the formation of the FIP.
- Publicly support IMARPE’s effort to develop a stock assessment methodology that is applicable for all Jumbo Flying squid fisheries within South Pacific RFMO.
- Publicly support establishing a Shortfin Squid FIP in the Argentinian EEZ waters.
- Promote and sponsor the update and development of squid fisheries assessments.
- Support efforts such as the US East Coast squid fishery’s MSC certification process.
Progress Update
The SR progress update can be found here.