Humboldt squid have been fished in Peru for years. The government has now decided to make some new regulations, with noble intent:

The Government also aims to ensure the rational and sustainable use of the jumbo flying squid, taking into account the analysis of the biological characteristics and the stocks of this resource and of the socio-economic impact on fishermen.

One of the new rules is that all Humboldt squid caught in Peruvian waters must be intended only for direct human consumption. 

If you've ever wondered just what it looks like to go fishing for Humboldt squid, here's one view--a video by Philip Friedman, shot off Long Beach:

October's Circus of the Spineless is up at Wanderin' Weeta's blog! Go read the horrific tale of the emerald cockroach wasp, admire the metallic teeth of the chiton, and much much more! Of course, there are some teuthological goodies as well, but my avid readers will have seen them already.

Here's something you may not have seen, though:



Tim Laman/Getty Images

This is a pretty crazy story! Japanese planes spotted a fishing vessel engaged in illegal drift net fishing off the coast of Alaska, and the US Coast Guard boarded it.

The offending vessel was not registered in any nation, an unusual situation, Francis said. The crew claimed the ship, called the Bangun Parkasa, was Indonesian. But Coast Guard inquiries found no such registration with the Indonesian government, she said.

And what did they find on board the mystery ship? Thirty sharks, thirty tons of squid, and an infestation of rats.

Today I get a free pass on my blog, because an article I wrote about giant squid came out at Miller-McCune.com.

Conservation efforts often rally around charismatic species like the African elephant or the bald eagle. Popular affection for these “flagship” animals can be leveraged into funding and political will. But who speaks for the 95 percent of Earth’s inhabitants without a backbone? No worm has the rock-star appeal of a Bengal tiger. 

Enter the giant squid.

Go read the rest!