The new season is upon us - or is it?

December 17, 2010 - the day the 2010-2011 market squid fishery shut down until April 1, 2011.  Seems the commercial squid fleet met the 119,000 metric ton quota established by the California Department of Fish and Game.  This was a first.  When we last fished, there was an overabundance of market squid (Loligo opalescens).  Now - it seems said biomass has vacated the premises, at least in the Southern California fishery area.  There are reports of some fish in the Northern California region - namely Monterey, Santa Cruz and points south.

More pressing is the current state of the market.  Seems some of the processors are willing to increase the price to $600/ton while others are standing pat at $500/ton.  There has been a consensus amongst the fishery participants that unless and until at least five processors are willing to pay $600/ton none of the participants will fish.  What we like to call a strike in layman's parlance.  As I write this, it is unknown how many processors are willing to pay the requested price.  I have received assurances from the market we fish for that we will get the price.  As always, it will be interesting to see what transpires.  The last time there was a work stoppage in the fishery was the Fall of 2009.  At that time the processors dropped the price from $700/ton to $500/ton.  We all agreed not to fish until we received assurances that the price would remain $500/ton for the remainder of the season.  The processors agreed and we returned fishing after a 1-day hiatus.  That was the exception, not the rule.  Historically, strikes involving the commercial squid fleet never work.  There is always someone who is willing to deliver at a price the market wants.  Until we, as a group, pull our collective head's out of our asses, the results of such work stoppages will remain tenuous at best.

So here we sit.  The season opens next Thursday night.  Light Boats and Seiners are geared up and ready to go.  Where and when remains to be seen.  I could bore you with reports of what has been seen, what hasnt been seen and where; but until the season officially begins - what does it really matter?

It is my intent to provide daily updates highlighting what we see, what we catch and other information/opinions/gripes/etc that arise as we move along in our quest for the not so deadliest catch.  Feel free to ask questions, suggest topics and anything else that you may like to see/read.  I plan to supplement these writings with pictures - and hopefully videos.  Just so I know I can - here is a picture taken at Catalina Island a year or two ago...  If I am not mistaken, the seiner in the set is the Endeavor.