- The European government is conducting a consultation on how to regulate fishery and other new warm-water species thriving in British water.
- Squids have big brains and escape their predators by firing a jet of water from within their body at a speed of 20mph.
- Taking precautions to avoid overfishing will allow them to thrive.
The European squid, Loligo vulgaris, is becoming a more important commercial catch in the UK, but it is not protected from overfishing, reported by The Guardian.
Regulate fishery
Most common in Mediterranean cuisine, it is becoming a more valuable catch as the seas around the UK warm.
The government is conducting a consultation on how to regulate the fishery, as well as those of other newer warm-water species thriving in British waters, such as red mullet and gurnard.
Interesting features
Squid have large brains and can escape predators by firing a jet of water from within their bodies at speeds of up to 20mph.
They have six arms and two longer tentacles for catching prey, mostly small fish and shrimps, but they eat almost anything, including each other when food is scarce.
November is prime breeding season. Each female lays up to 600 eggs, and many other squid form massive rafts for safety in numbers.
Hatching and development times vary depending on water temperature, but squid grow quickly and can breed after nine months.
It was once thought that they could live for up to four years, but 15 months is now considered the maximum life expectancy.
Taking precautions to avoid overfishing will allow them to thrive.
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Source: The Guardian
