Report

Squid capture in the Northwest Indian Ocean: unregulated fishing on the high seas

Through the monitoring of satellite vessel tracking data, FISH-i Africa has identified an increasing number of squid vessels operating in the Northwest Indian Ocean (NWIO). The vessels appear to operate exclusively in the high seas, avoiding exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and therefore falling within an area beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). The area of operation, although physically within the area covered by the regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), does not fall within its area of competence as only tuna and tuna like species are included within the IOTC mandate. The squid fishery presented in this report, based on analysis of data from January 2015 to April 2017 is therefore unregulated.

As demand for seafood increases, fishing operators are searching for new fisheries including in previously less explored areas on the high seas. Some of these areas and/or some of the species in these fisheries fall outside of any management frameworks. Operations such as the squid fishery presented in this report are an example of this gap and of the challenge to monitor and manage these fisheries when information on catch and effort are only available to the flag State. There is a risk that this fishery may cause negative impacts before any clear understanding of sustainable yields has been developed, and appropriate management frameworks have been put in place.

With no applicable regulations and no conservation and management measures governing this emerging squid fishery, there are several potential concerns, including the risk of overexploitation that could lead to a demise or even crash of the squid stock. Squid represent an important link between the massive biomass of lower trophic levels and oceanic predators in many if not all pelagic food webs. Squid are important prey for 12 predatory species in the Western Indian Ocean, especially bigeye tuna and swordfish.