The Indian oil sardine is one of the more regionally limited species of Sardinella and can be found in the northern regions of the Indian Ocean

Traditional Kerala Indian oil sardine in crisis

INDIA
Monday, July 15, 2019, 20:00 (GMT + 9)

Crisis is what prompted the southwestern coastal state of Kerala to lead the way in this spate of new fisheries regulations. The Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) is a staple food in this state and a mainstay of its fishing industry. Catch of this small fish boomed through the 2000s, driven by intensified fishing. The fish had also expanded its range northward due to warming waters, giving other states a bigger catch than before. But after a record-high catch of 390,000 metric tons in 2012, sardine landings in Kerala plunged to 45,000 tons in 2016.

Kerala es un estado en la costa suroeste de Malabar, en la India. Se formó el 1 de noviembre de 1956.

Scientists commissioned to study the problem found that the crash was caused mainly by environmental factors, including an El Niño one year, but also by overfishing. Fishers constantly exceeded the maximum sustainable yield of the fishery between 2010 and 2013, the scientists found, and were catching an increasing number of juvenile fish.

The crisis prompted the Kerala government to implement a range of measures, beginning with a ban on fishing juvenile sardines in 2015. The sardine catch started rebounding in 2017, which many observers attributed to these measures.

The Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Sardinella. It is one of the two most important commercial fishes in India (with the mackerel).

The state also speeded up a slew of other long-pending recommendations. In 2017, new laws set up a system of village and district councils of fishermen, scientists and officials to manage local-level fisheries. The state also amended the laws to get control over net manufacturers at the factory level, and expanded restrictions on catching juveniles to cover 58 species of fish, up from 14 species.

The sardine crash prompted changes beyond fishing regulations in Kerala. It had led to a bust in the Indian fishmeal industry in the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; sardines are used in high-quality fishmeal supplied to the aquaculture industry. Demand from expanding fishmeal plants helped drive overfishing of sardines. After the crash, larger fishmeal companies formed an association and committed to following minimum legal size standards in procuring fish.

Sardines and by-catch are sent to fishmeal plants, like this one in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Image by Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar.

This sudden sense of responsibility didn’t just arise from the emergency, however. Indian seafood exporters have to increasingly fulfill responsible-sourcing requirements in many international markets. One-third of the U.S.’s farmed shrimp comes from India, for instance. “With traceability standards coming in, we have to ensure sustainable practices,” Showkat Showry, head of the Indian Fishmeal and Fish Oil Exporters Association, told Mongabay.

Author:  Vaishnavi Chandrasshekhar/news.mongabay.com | Read full story here

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