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.
It is possible that existing supply chain leverage and interest may be able to influence more than 57 percent of global production. The key to reaching T75 is engaging Chinese and South Korean fisheries operating in the international waters off South America. The industry can accomplish this through demand from some markets already engaged in sustainability, engaging the markets where those products end up, as well as creating demand for sustainable products from new markets.
Fisheries and/or FIPs Covered:
At present, the roundtable focuses on a number of squid fisheries found worldwide. Please find an overview of all T75 relevant fisheries, including those currently not prioritized by the SR, here.
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.
This briefing provides an update on progress, activities and news in the areas of interest to to the SR. It also indicates any actions and further support needed.
1. Improvements in SR Target 75 Priority Fisheries
Please find an overview of fisheries identified in the T75 Squid Sector Report including those currently not necessarily prioritized by the SR, here.
Peru Jumbo Flying Squid:
Update: 1st FIP Stakeholder meeting for a comprehensive FIP took place in Lima the 28th and 29th of August. It was coordinated by ECOS (consultant firm hired under WWF Peru initiative). Other stakeholder participants besides WWF included PRODUCE (Peruvian Ministry in charge of the management of the fishery), IMARPE (Peruvian Fisheries research Institute), Humbold Institute, representatives from the artisanal fishing sector, National industry, Walton Family Foundation, Oceana, Cedepesca and SFP. Talking points included a summary of the origin of the project as well as the previous work done by SFP on the fishery, a review of the MSC pre-assessment. discussion about the proposed action plan, CALAMASUR presentation.
Next steps will be publishing the pre-assessment and the workplan in fisheryprogress.org, budget definition and next meeting arrangements (likely in 6 months time)
Further Support needed: SR participants to express further interest in joining the FIP and expand international industry engagement. Contact Pedro Ferreiro.
Chile Jumbo Flying Squid:
Update: Chilean representatives of the artisanal and industrial fishing sector have been formally nominated as participants in CalamaSur.
Further Support needed: SR participants to confirm their interest in improvements to your supply chain, contact Pedro Ferreiro.
Argentina, Argentine Shortfin Squid:
Update: Meeting was held the 12th of September with Congalsa, Nueva Pescanova, Cabomar and Iberconsa (3 first SR members) to discuss how to better use the upcoming Conxemar trade show to expand discussion on the need of an FIP with the new Undersecretary of fisheries from Argentina and Argentinian industry. See SFP Blog publication regarding the Illex argentinus situation.
Related media coverage flags that international catch on the stock is going down.
Further Support needed: Confirm your interest in improvements to your Argentinian supply chain, and share with them the SFP blog post about the market situation of Illex argentinus and support the FIP launch. Contact Pedro Ferreiro ([email protected]).
China, Japanese Flying Squid:
East China Sea and Yellow Sea Japanese Flying Squid FIP (Sea Farms/PanaPesca USA/CAPPMA/Ocean Outcomes) - This project can be found publicly as a prospective FIP on fisheryprogress.org.
Update:
- A Japanese Flying Squid FIP meeting was held on July 17, 2018 in Rongcheng, China. See full meeting summary .
- The Yellow Sea-East China Sea Japanese Flying Squid FIP Public Launch and China Squid Fisheries Improvement Workshop hosted by CAPPMA and Ocean Outcomes, co-organized by China Blue, will be held on November 6, 2018 in Qingdao, China. See meeting agenda or contact Songlin Wang for more details.
Further Support needed: Contact Songlin Wang for more information on the JFS FIP.
Indian Squid:
Update: No further news in Q3.
Trawl-caught squid from Kollam in India has been identified as targeted fishery for securing MSC certification: The sustainability of Indian squid is of interest to some SR members.
Further Support needed: Contact Sam Grimley at SFP if your company is interested in seeing an Indian squid improvement effort developed.
Mexico Jumbo Flying Squid:
Update: No further update in Q3.
Mexican basic JFS FIP is publicly available in Fishery Progress
Further Support needed: Monitor and support progress of the FIP, where needed. For more information contact Juan Pedro Vela.
2. Support to established FIPs and improvement efforts
Please find an overview of all existing FIPs and improvement efforts, their current progress rating and status here.
Chinese Common Squid FIP:
Shantou-Taiwan Chinese common squid - jigging/single trawl
Update:
- A workshop focused on identifying minimum catch size and spawning grounds was held in Shantou, China on July 6, 2018. The Scientific Advisory Committee for the Chinese Common Squid FIP was established during the meeting. See full meeting summary .
- The Yellow Sea-East China Sea Japanese Flying Squid FIP Public Launch and China Squid Fisheries Improvement Workshop hosted by CAPPMA and Ocean Outcomes, co-organized by China Blue will be held on November 6, 2018 in Qingdao, China. See meeting agenda or contact Yinglin He for more details.
Further Support needed: Contact Yinglin He for more information.
3. Support Mitigation of Fishery/FIP Overarching Sustainability issues
Relevant News: No additional news in Q3
CALAMASUR supports Target 75 initiative
Further Support needed: SR participants to engage with RFMO and direct action as directed by SFP
4. Expansion of the SR
SFP is in process to identify buyers of squid from Indonesia, Thailand, and of South Korea and Chinese fisheries (in own EEZ and overseas).
Update: Nueva Pescanova S.L joined the SR in July 2018.
Further Support needed: Promote the SR to fellow industry and invite participation and share your supply chain knowledge with SFP. Please contact Sam Grimley or Pedro Ferreiro at SFP.