We were heading out last night to eat Chinese food (year of the fire boar!) and see a little documentary about Red Hill (which, thanks to a mistake in Calendar, wasn't actually playing last night - it's tonight at UnUrban Cafe). As we drove past the bluff, we saw what looked like a Sig alert at sea. Lights. Lots and lots of lights.
Squid boats, Dave asked? Yes, that's exactly what they were. (This photo is near-useless, I know.) Twenty-two ships at least, spread in an arc around the edge of the Cove. They lure the dumb little squid to the surface with the stadium glare of banks of bright lights, then net them. How many tons of squid do 22 big boats reel in in a single night? I wish I knew. I googled around this morning but information was scarce. One thing I did learn is that the squid harvest is not regulated. (One look at that line of boats and that bit of info comes as no surprise.) Here's a little something from the National Oceanic and Atmosphereic Administration.
What do squid eat? What animals eat the squid? How much squid can be pulled out of our local waters and keep the population sustainable? What happens when the squid population crashes? Which other sea creatures starve? If anyone has answers, or knows how to find them, I'd love to hear from you.
