Pacific Sardine Crash

[FISHEYE]

http://www.salon.com/2015/01/25/where_did_all_the_sardines_go_partner/

What do you guys think?

[Darian]

Hi Phil,.... Posted on Blantons BB before I saw this thread. The text of that note follows:

"Well, here we go again.... I grew up in Southern California during the 40's/50's and fished off the live bait boats down there with my Dad. During that time the most desirable bait was a live Sardine. Also, during that time there were large canneries in San Diego and San Pedro. Commercial fishing for larger species like Tuna were caught on lines but baitfish were netted en masse, canned and/or reduced for fertilizer. In those days, neither I or my Dad were aware of things like cooling ocean temperatures.

Regardless, I witnessed the Sardine population crash just as mentioned in your article. The result was shift to other forms of live bait, such as Anchovies and Squid. Not sure why those populations didn't crash as well.... Just as described, it took decades for Pacific Sardine populations to recover.

In a related article from the New York Times, reprinted in the Sacramento Bee on January 16th titled, "Ocean life faces potential mass extinction, analysis says" (unable to locate a link), the same scenario seems to be playing out again; changing ocean environment coupled with pollution and over fishing. At least this article points out that the ocean could recover with that help but it must start soon."

After posting that, I started thinking about the recent absence of Sardinas in the southern Sea of Cortez during the last few years. In each of those years, sea water temps in the gulf were cooler than normal and, according to what I was told by the captains down there, qoutas for commercial catch of Sardinas was substantially increased. Also, according to the captains, the increase in volume of bait fish caught was for feeding Tuna kept in the pens in the area south of Cabo Pulmo.... Similar circumstance and outcome???