Partnership Looks To Keep Fresh Caught California Squid Local
MONTEREY (KPIX 5) -- Most of the squid caught in California usually travels about 12,000 miles before it hits your plate. Now, there is a movement to cut down on the distance.
It's been a good season for Northern California squid fishing: This year's haul, up 2 million pounds of squid per day.
That's just the beginning of their 12,000 mile journey. Seventy percent of it is shipped off to China, where some of it is cleaned, processed and frozen, then shipped back to the U.S.
"It's a very small percentage that actually makes its way back into the U.S. market," said Joe Roggio, CEO of Del Mar Seafoods.
Squid processors like Roggio said a squid's hike from the California Coast to China and then back to our dinner plate is not as simple as it sounds. Overseas fish processing is a booming industry, in large part because Asia now consumes about half of the world's squid.
"We realized that well we should also be trying to eat some of that product here," said Alan Lovewell, co-founder and CEO of Local Catch Monterey Bay.
But a changing American palate coupled with a growing demand for locally produced and sourced food is driving a new market here.
"We are really focused in on partnerships," Lovewell said.
Using Del Mar's processing area, Local Catch Monterey Bay is cleaning, cutting and packaging locally sourced squid, for distribution to Bay Area consumers, taking China out of the equation.
"This is really an experiment for us and an experiment for Del Mar to see well what does the local market look like?" Lovewell said.
About five tons of fresh squid is delivered weekly in California, primarily to markets in L.A. and San Francisco. So for Del Mar, it keeps workers on the payroll during the offseason.
For Local Catch, the partnership with Del Mar means it does not have to invest in a workforce or infrastructure.
"To make significant investment takes a lot of money," Lovewell said.
And some risk. Fresh squid costs more and has a short shelf life. That means by adding thousands of food miles from California to China and back, it's still cheaper than cleaning it here.
"That goes for more than just seafood. The consumer is always looking for the best price, the best deal that's out there," Roggio said.
It costs about $1.50 more per pound to process squid locally. Supporters of the "net to table" movement said it's a small price to pay for fresh squid.
