The Peruvian sardine, Sardinops sagax: Historical analysis of the fishery (1978–2005)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The historical development of Peru's sardine (Sardinops sagax) fishery between 1978 and 2005 is described from fishery indicators (landings and effort) and environmental indicators (Pacific Decadal Oscillation [PDO] index, Southern Oscillation Index, and Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly) in order to observe the spatial and temporal variations of the fishery. During this period, the fishery indicators showed that excessive fishing pressure caused the drastic decline in abundance, as demonstrated by the low catch levels in recent years. Regarding the environmental indicators, a positive relationship with sardine landing anomalies was observed; however, the PDO index had a significant positive correlation (r Pearson = 0.50; P = 0.0005; n = 45) in comparison with the other indices. The results of this study show that the effects of overfishing and adverse environmental conditions strongly impacted the Peruvian sardine population, with the consequent collapse of the fishery.Key words: Peruvian sardine, fishery, environmental variability, availability, Peru. RESUMEN. Se describe el desarrollo histórico de la pesquería de la sardina Sardinops sagax en el Perú entre los años 1978 y 2005 a partir de indicadores pesqueros (desembarques y esfuerzo) e indicadores ambientales (Índice de Oscilación Decadal del Pacífico [IODP], Índice deOscilación del Sur y Anomalías de la Temperatura Superficial del Mar) con la finalidad de observar variaciones espaciotemporales de la pesquería. Durante este periodo, los indicadores pesqueros demostraron que la excesiva presión de pesca sobre este recurso propició la drástica disminución de la abundancia, lo cual se reflejó en los bajos niveles de captura en los últimos años. Respecto a los indicadores ambientales, se observó una relación positiva con las anomalías de desembarque de sardina; el IODP presentó la mejor correlación positiva (r Pearson = 0.50; P = 0.0005; n = 45) en comparación con los otros índices. Los resultados de este estudio muestran que el efecto de la intensa actividad extractiva y las condiciones ambientales adversas impactaron fuertemente en la población de sardina, con el consiguiente colapso de su pesquería.Palabras clave: sardina peruana, pesquería, variabilidad ambiental, disponibilidad, Perú.

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