What is Calamari Anyway?

It's likely you've seen calamari on a restaurant menu but many people are not sure what it actually is. Calamari is not octopus. It comes from the word "calamaro" which means "squid" in Italian. Calamari is a type of squid; more specifically, squid that has been prepared for human consumption.

Squid refers to the entire marine animal, a type of mollusk.

Calamari refers to the edible meat from a squid

THIS is a squid. Picture & video by Debbie Hatch

“Most people don’t know what a squid looks like. Many have never seen a squid looking back at them. If more do, there will be a much smaller market for calamari." - Dr. Sylvia Earle

Exact figures on how many individual squid are killed for calamari each year are not available, but billions are harvested globally.

In 2020, 86% of squid fishing took place in areas with little or no oversight, in unregulated waters.

The squid are one species that will benefit from The High Seas Treaty which will become binding international law in January 2026.

On September 19, 2025, Morocco became the 60th country to ratify the agreement, triggering a 120-day countdown to its entry into force.

The treaty establishes a framework for setting up marine protected areas in international waters, regulating activities like fishing, and ensuring the equitable sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources.

It is the world's first international treaty to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

In a Devotion to our Ocean, this is important for protecting our planet.

If we have no blue, we have no green.

The ocean is critical for ALL life.