Squid
My squid for The Critical Fish Trail project is made using the stencil technique. This is my favorite technique, because the result is always unexpected with beautiful textures. I wanted to show the plasticity of the squid and its majesty. Before starting work, I looked at a lot of references and read about them. I was fascinated by how fast and elegant they are. Simple at first glance and at the same time complex.
Artist: Nadiia Mykhailova
Fish Profile
European Squid - Loligo vulgaris
Conservation status
There are many conservation concerns around European Squid which is succinctly summed up by the MCS : ‘Most squid from UK seas are Fish to Avoid and only 1, Cornish Squid, is rated as OK - Needs Improvement’.
The IUCN haven’t rated European Squid on their Red List as they don’t have the data required. Squid is caught in a number of ways and management is poor. They state: ‘Better stock and harvest monitoring are required to collate better data and ensure sustainable harvesting ‘
Amongst the concerns from experts are lack of management, vulnerability to over fishing, bycatch concerns, and the fishing methods used. Squid has high commercial value and is an attractive catch for fishermen. Line fishing (Jig fishing) is small scale, whilst bottom trawling can be very impactful for fish stocks and the environment.