Migration and Distribution of the Common Squid (Todarodes pacificus) in Korean Waters

Abstract

Catch data for the common squid (Todarodes pacificus), classified by squid-jigging fisheries per grid (size: 0.5° latitude × 0.5° longitude), and the water temperature values KODC (Korea Ocean Data Center) were collected for the 1980-2009 period to study the changes in squid distribution and migration with climate regimes (1980s, 1990s, and 2000s). The primary fishing period in the 1990s and 2000s was approximately 2-3 months earlier than that in the 1980s. Especially in the East Sea, the fishing grounds in the 1980s stayed longer at high latitudes than those in the other decades. Moreover, in the 1980s, centers of the fishing ground were located near the Yamato bank (central East Sea), whereas in the 1990s and 2000s, they were situated near the southeastern coast of the Korean peninsula.