The anchovy biological indicators started showing values slightly below their historic patterns. (Photo: Stock File)

Anchovy biomass begins to feel El Niño impact

PERU
Tuesday, July 14, 2015, 02:10 (GMT + 9)

The Multisector Committee of the National Study of El Niño Phenomenon (ENFEN) reported that the El Niño climate phenomenon has begun to impact on the anchovy biomass.

According to the latest report released by the agency, the indicators of the anchovy biology (spawning fraction, gonadosomatic index, fat content, atresia index) showed values that are slightly below historical patterns in the last half of June.

Luis Icochea, former director of the Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE), argues that El Niño has definitely altered the biological part of the anchovy, causing its spawning to take place in advance. And this could be beneficial in the short term, if there is such an important spawning.

And he predicts that if the sea temperature is reduced, the conditions for the catch will be able to be maintained in some areas of central and southern coast, provided there are juvenile specimens, Gestion reported.

But if the warm sea conditions are maintained at the end of the winter, it will be more difficult to fish because the anchovy will go to deeper waters, will disperse and will stick to the coast within five miles.

In addition, juvenile and adult specimens, and will move further south, a situation that will benefit Chile.

If this happens, it should be necessary to analyze the possibility that smaller scale vessels can enter the zone within five miles for a special season.

For his part, Germán Vasquez Solis, president of the Board of the Institute, said that at first it was thought that El Niño phenomenon this year would be similar to that of 1997-1998 in different areas of the Pacific, but "now it is below that intensity and its development is a little colder compared to those years," TV Peru reported.

"This year it has been possible to fish well because, although it is warmer, the ocean has maintained productivity. It is necessary to continue the monitoring permanently," he explained.

ENFEN Multisector Committee expects that only in August it will be possible to precisely know about the intensity that the phenomenon will have next summer.

Related article:

- Anchovy fishing suspended for five days

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
 

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