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Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

Japanese Flying Squid

© Monterey Bay Aquarium
SEAFOODRATINGMARKET NAMESWHERE CAUGHTHOW CAUGHT
Argentine Shortfin Squid Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Calamari, International Squid Imported Wild-caught
Japanese Flying Squid Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Calamari, International Squid Imported Wild-caught
Jumbo Squid Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Calamar Gigante, Giant Squid, Humboldt Squid, Jibia Gigante Gulf of California Wild-caught
Longfin Squid Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Common Squid, Boned Squid U.S. Atlantic Trawl
Market Squid Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Calamari, Opalescent Squid California Purse Seine
Shortfin Squid Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Summer Squid U.S. Atlantic Trawl


Squid, Imported

Squid grow quickly and reproduce at a young age, making them highly resilient to fishing pressure. However, insufficient population data as well as poor fishery management and enforcement result in a "Good Alternative" ranking for imported squid.

Summary

Squid play an important role in marine food webs as predator and prey, and are an important source of food for marine mammals. It is also becoming a staple on many restaurant menus, where it's called calamari.

Squid grow quickly and reproduce at a young age, but their survival depends on ocean temperature and prey availability. This means squid abundance varies widely, or may be unknown in many areas.

Most of the squid consumed in the U.S. is imported from China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. In international waters, squid is mostly caught using jigs or trawls, two types of gear that minimize bycatch. But, as with other high-seas fisheries, regulations don't exist or are rarely enforced and squid is being fished in ever greater numbers in areas where other species have declined due to overfishing.

Without clear data on population size, and without effective management and enforcement measures, imported squid are considered a "Good Alternative."

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