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Story: Octopus and squid

Japanese squid boats

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Japanese squid boats

Japanese fishermen were the first to exploit the abundant squid in the waters around New Zealand. They use powerful lights to attract the squid to the surface, and catch them on hooked lines. This fishing fleet was photographed in 1978 in Wellington Harbour about to set off for five or six months of squid fishing off the West Coast of the South Island.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1978/4272/12A

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Maggy Wassilieff and Steve O’Shea, Octopus and squid – Squid fishing, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/7937/japanese-squid-boats (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Maggy Wassilieff and Steve O’Shea, published 2 March 2009.