Squid Fishing off Lover's Point, Pacific Grove, CA

There isn't a lot of wildlife in our Blog Post today but I thought that some record of the commercial fishing that has been so active the past few days could qualify. We read that the squid do not appear in Monterey Bay every year. We looked for some record of recent activity and found this article in the Santa Cruz Sentinal from March 2009 that gives a good idea of what we are observing this season here.
Squid and salmon fishing are currently very active in Monterey Bay. The past week there have been from 10 to 15 commercial boats scooping up the squid in very close quarters. We found a UTube video that shows a fishing boat captain describing the process we are observing from shore. here.

There is also a group of smaller charter boats fishing for salmon. The daily salmon "take" is small, reported to be 10 to 20 salmon a day. The salmon fishermen are catching their fish on hooks and long lines as described here.

The following shots show the density of the commercial boats as they jostle for position to enclose a group (school) of squid. One would almost conclude that commercial fishing today is highly competitive if not a "contact" sport.
 

The current intensity of the fishing reminds us of the fishing history of Monterey Bay that is described so well in the new book;
"The Death & Life of Monterey Bay" authored by Stephen R. Palumbi, director of the Hopkins Marine Station and Jane Marshall Steele Jr. Professor of Marine Science at Stanford University. We highly recommend this book which can be found here.

A perfect quote from the book jacket describes this wonderful place we call home;

"ANYONE who has ever stood on the shores of Monterey Bay, watching the rolling ocean waves and frolicking otters, knows it is a unique place. But even residents on this stunning California shore may not realize its full history. Monterey began as a natural paradise, but became the poster child for industrial devastation in John Stenibeck's Cannery Row, and now is one of the most celebrated shorelines in the world."

Quoting further from the book jacket about Monterey Bay;

"It is a remarkable story of life, death, and revival - told here for the first time in all its bleak grays and brilliant color."

 

It seems remarkable that the fishing fleet can navigate in close quarters like this. Although the fishing seems intense, there are limits on the catch so the squid are not apparently being "over-fished".

We are fortunate to live in this area where we can observe the daily changes in the Bay as it apparently is recovering from the overfishing that has happened in the past. We know that there are strict limits on the squid catch that are closely monitored by The State Department of Fish and Game.