After years of under-yielding Indian oil sardines along the Kerala coast, researchers at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have said that the state’s staple fish appears to be on the way to rebirth.
Thanks to the favorable conditions of the marine ecosystem, scattered batches of immature sardines have been found along the coast of the state.
But there is a catch. CMFRI researchers have warned fishermen not to catch these stocks now, as it would have an adverse effect on fish reactivation. The current batch of sardines located along the coast has an average size of 14-16 cm and therefore has not yet reached the reproductive stage. To reach full maturity, they require another three or more months.
“Given this unusual and unfavorable state of the population, we recommend not catching these sardines even if they exceed the legal minimum size (MLS) of 10 cm,” said Dr. EM Abdussamad, CMFRI lead scientist who led the study, in a statement.
Studies have shown that the spawning biomass of sardines along the Kerala coast is low. Hence, indiscriminate fishing in this period would be disastrous for the future of the species. The findings have been relayed to the state fisheries minister, J Mercykutty Amma.
Barring a slight increase in fish catch in 2017, there has been a general decline in oil sardines throughout Kerala. In fact, last year’s catch of 44,320t was the lowest in the past two decades.
According to CMFRI, the unfavorable conditions in the oceanic ecosystem after the El Niño phenomenon caused fluctuations in the yield of the sardine oil.
The oil sardine, known as ‘matthi’ in Malayalam, is Kerala’s favorite fish variety and integral to the state’s cuisine as well as the livelihood of the state’s fishermen. Last year, a 39% decrease in fish catch was reported with Indian mackerel displacing oil sardines at the top of fish landings in the state.
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