History of the Pacific Sardine Fishery and its fluctuations

Advanced Fisheries

11/7/2016

Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) • Small, schooling, pelagic fish of the family Clupeidae

• Max size- 41cm, weight- ~.32kg

• Generally mature at 18 cm ( 2-3 years), dependent on biomass, temperature, latitude (Hill 1999)

• Can live to 13-25 years, most caught under 5 year of age in California ( Hill et al 2012)

• Sardine populations undergo extreme natural variation in abundance

Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) • Sardines feed on zooplankton, and are important forage fish for many marine mammals, birds, and piscovorous fish.

• Form large schools during the day and disperse at night (Love 2011)• 2010 sampling- 30 m diameter, 6m height

Thayer et al.2013

Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) • Occurs in coastal temperate waters • Three distinct sub-populations: Gulf of California, Baja California, and principle northern sub

population.• Nutrient rich waters brought by the California current provide ideal open water habitat

History of the fishery:Pre-European • Generally, Native American tribes on the W. Coast had difficulty fishing for marine pelagic fish.

• Mollusks, sea mammals, and mussels were most sought after marine animals

• Tribes focused most of their fishing effort on coastal rivers or rocky outcrops which were abundant with Salmonids, rock fish, seaweed, and marine invertebrates.

• Fishing for Pacific sardines was almost entirely absent for Northwest California tribes.(Kroeber & Barret 1960)

• Sea going canoes were not reliable on the open water of the Pacific Ocean

History of the fishery : Pre-European • However, it is likely that Central California Coast tribes were able to fish for Pacific sardines in certain areas

such as Elk Horn Slough near Moss Landing, Ca.

• Shell middens associated with villages, camps, and processing sites show that over 50 % of the catch found in the lagoons and estuaries of Elk Horn Slough consisted of Pacific herring, Northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, flounder, and grunion

• Shallower waters and calmer conditions likely made sardines more prone to seine and dip nets.

Maine oyster shell midden

History of the fishery- pre-WW1 • In general, the Pacific sardine fishery was not substantial during the early 1800’s.

• It is likely early settlers bartered for fishes with Native Americans

• California was very sparsely populated during this time, so most fishing was subsistence based.

• Commercial fishing picked up during the Gold Rush with the influx of immigrants

• However, Pacific Sardines were still not highly sought after.

• Few canneries existed which packed modest amounts of tuna and sardine.

• Salmon, sturgeon, rockfish, and flat fish fisheries were given the most effort.

• Quote from 1858 dispatch from S.F to N.Y tribune: … “the cod, halibut, herring, salmon, smelt, sturgeon are abundant, and are easily caught, while a large market is ready to buy them at a high price […] A small fish called the “sardine”, supposed by many to be a species of herring, is abundant, but not much value is commonly attached to it.”

History of the Fishery- pre-WW1

• Advances in technology during the late 1800’s set the stage for the rise of the Pacific Sardine Fishery in California.

• 1895- first gasoline engines were used in S.F Bay. By 1912, all boats were gasoline powered.• Also during this time, inexpensive ice machines were produced• Both these advances allowed for longer offshore outings for pelagic fish species which had yet to be

exploited.

History of the Fishery- 1914- 1940• Sardine Fishery developed as a response for the demand for food during WW1 (1914-1918).

• Large push for more domestic consumption from Federal Food Administration & The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries

• “Eat more fish” slogan became common.

• Spurred by studies on how to handle and store under utilized fish species, as well relaxed regulations.

• 1915 –2,000 metric tons of sardine

• 1918- 71,000 metric tons of sardine

History of the Fishery- 1918-1940• Landings increased from 1916 to 1936• During this time, the catch more than doubled every six years and reached its maximum of a billion

and a half pounds in 1936• Pacific sardines supported the largest fishery in the western hemisphere during the 1930s and

1940s, with landings in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, and Mexico• Sardine catch exceeded the catch of all other fish species combined

Uses of Pacific Sardine • Although a valuable food source, much higher profits were to be had by reducing sardines into

soaps, oil, and fish meal• Rendering first done in 1918 as a way to process fish remains• Sardine oil was in high demand for paint and soap while fish meal was bought immediately for

chicken feed. • Became evident that profit margins were higher for reduced sardines. • Sardine reduction drove the industry post WW1 to 1940.

Method of Catch• Early 1900’s- primarily by gill nets and purse seiners • 1905- first lampara net brought to U.S from Morrocco • Lampara nets are lighter and could be towed with smaller vessels and less crew.

Regulation Issues • 1920’s- conflicts of interest between sardine reduction companies and the California Division of Fish and Game

increase

• Over 100 canneries from S.D to S.F during this time period

• As a result, CDFG prohibited the reduction of whole sardines. • rendering boats located outside state jurisdiction • processors put only a small portion of fish in each can, the rest for rendering

Regulation Issues• Also during this time, issues arose between State and Federal agencies on how to regulate the Pacific sardine

• Late 1930’s - Division of Fish and Game- management of the fishery, “protector of the resource”• saw overfishing as the primary concern . Advocated for 250,000 ton limit • from early on, state biologists gave clear warnings of a collapse of the fishery

• U.S Bureau of Commercial Fisheries- no management responsibilities, aimed to develop and maintain U.S commercial fisheries

• viewed the decline as a result of issues not pertaining to overfishing

• Engaged in intense debates and meetings ,often based on same data sets.

U.S Bureau of Commercial Fisheries

History of the Fishery: 1940’s – 2000’s• Pacific sardine populations collapsed in the late 1940’s, (some short term reversals) leading to extremely low

levels

• Federal Agencies took over regulations in 1942 (WW2), did not impose state recommended limits, intent was to maximize sardine canning.

• Late 1940’s, state regained control, however stock was depleted.

• 1967 to 1973, California landings of sardines were limited to an incidental take of 15 percent sardines by weight mixed with other fish.

• 1974, a moratorium on sardine fishing was established, which restricted landings to the 15 percent incidental limit and eliminated the use of sardines as bait

• Through 1981, sardine landings were less than 50 tons per year.

• Increase in catch from 1970’s to late 1990’s from less than 100 tons to 62,000 tons in 1999.

History of the Fishery: 2000-present

• From 2007 to 2015- 91 % reduction in sardine landings ( Pacific Fishery Marine Council) • 2015- closure of fishery from Mexican border to Canada.

Causes for decline: natural population fluctuations Pacific sardines exhibit natural fluctuations in abundance . Roughly a 60 year cycle in which population decline and recoveries average about 30-36 years. Otolith studies have found that Pacific Sardines are a young species, with no remains being found past 7,000 years oldSome suggest that population fluctuations are due to a new species occupying a new habitat However, most studies link changes in ocean temperature as the main driver of fluctuationsOver the past 100 years, sardine populations have increased during periods of warmer than average ocean temperature, and decreased during colder periods. Warmer waters increase the range of Pacific Sardines and provides more nutrient rich waters spawning waters.Research shows that Pacific sardine and Northern anchovy population abundances alternate, likely linked to climatic conditions as Northern anchovy prefer colder waters.

Lluch-cota 2013 PNAS

Conclusions • It is likely that overfishing and natural variations in population cycles, due to climate, are both key factors which explain the

history of the Pacific sardine fishery. This question is still being highly researched.

• However, more recent studies suggest that the 1940’s collapse was unavoidable regardless of management practices.

• To this day, the California sardine fishery is one of the only fisheries which recognizes the effects of Sea Surface Temperature on the abundance of sardine stock. Models incorporate SST factors when determining harvest and assessing stock recruitment. (Lindegren et al 2013)

• 2016-2017- no fishing season, biomass estimate below 150,000 mt cutoff. • Fishery will consist of live bait fishery, incidental catch fishery, and tribal fishery ( NOAA)