
Squid, octopus, and cuttlefish populations have been rising since the 1960s. Why? - Petiver
http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/05/release-the-kraken/483884/?single_page=true
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pvaldes
Overfishing

Less amount of economically valuable species of fishes = increase in squids,
jellyfishes and unedible species. Nothing really new here.

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kasey_junk
Squid, octopus & cuttlefish are eaten all over the world...

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cableshaft
Nowhere near as commonly as other fish, though (at least in most regions). In
my circle of acquaintances very few are even willing to try octopus or squid,
and I don't know anyone who eats cuttlefish. I live in the Midwest US, though.
If I lived in Japan, I'm sure that'd be very different.

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kasey_junk
I'll grant that other fish are eaten more, but cephalopods are commercially
fished as well.

And for anecdotes, I live in the Midwest US and had cuttlefish last week.

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cableshaft
And I eat octopus on a semi-regular basis (and squid when I can convince
people to get a Calamari appetizer), but it's not suuuper common here, unless
they're big fans of sushi.

Those people do exist in the area, or the restaurants wouldn't bother to have
them on the menu, it's just uncommon.

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prawn
Remotely relevant story from The Guardian this week:

Do you care about animals? Then you really shouldn't eat octopus -
[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/26/do-
you-...](http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/26/do-you-care-
about-animals-then-you-really-shouldnt-eat-octopus)

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tremon
We should only care about animals if they're smart?

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prawn
Maybe it beats "because they're cute"?

(FWIW, I eat meat and think squid are delicious. Just posting a related link
to see what discussion comes of it.)

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wiz21c
I actually kill lobsters with a knife before eating them.

Argh. Horror.

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jkot
Is it possible they have less predators?

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minikites
Not only possible, that's the reason, as the article said.

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mrsquid
It's simple. Natural habitants such as salmon have been fished to near
extinction, and the squids are simply replacing their place in the eco system.

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meric
It appears this may be one of nature's "shock absorber" effects in response to
reduction of fish population. The increase in cephalopods increase the food
accessible by fish.

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solotronics
not if we can help it. Time to eat all the squids too!

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nsnick
If there is so much octopus, why do I rarely see it on a menu?

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theandrewbailey
There's not much demand for it outside of Japanese cuisine. I keep hearing
about how much better crickets and other insects are more efficient for
protein, but supply and demand is why I have yet to see any sold for human
consumption.

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rawTruthHurts
"There's not much demand for it outside of Japanese cuisine."

Some Spaniards will beg to differ.

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dottrap
Also, some Chinese. But there's only up to a billion of them, so not much
demand.

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mindcrime
_That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons, even death
may die_.

~~~
kiddico
This is gonna be really dumb, but what's the difference between aeons, and
eons? Or did I miss a really important day of school?

Edit: nevermind, I googled it, as I should have the first time. Turns out I
was just too 'Merican.

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Amezarak
Well, the quote is from Lovecraft, who was himself American.

