California Fisheries and
Ecological Responses to
Abrupt Ocean Climate
Changes
(or did foreign markets do it?)
Jerry Norton, Jan Mason and Sam Herrick
Southwest Fisheries Science Center (NOAA)
Question:
How much of the variation in fisheries
landings is due to economic and
management factors and how much is
due to measurable environmental
variation?
First, illustrate controversy and confusion.
(apparent responses to climate events)
Second, present progress in finding solutions.
Dolphin (fish),
or
mahi mahi or dorado
catch by southern California
Commercial Passenger Fishing
Vessels
Dolphin (fish), or mahi mahi or dorado catch by southern
California Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels
History of California
Commercial Swordfish
Landings
(Imports limited)
Time and
area closures,
net
restrictions,
limited entry
Use composite to avoid
particular problems
EOF analysis of 29 species with
landings reported through 75
years
Table 1.
Harvest habitat for the 29 ecosystem indicator species.
Wide trophic
representation…..
Demersal species
code* scientific name
cabezon
California halibut
California scorpionfish
California sheephead
Dungeness (market) crab
giant seabass
lingcod
ocean whitefish
Pacific hake (whiting)
Pacific halibut
spiny lobster
sablefish
white croaker
cbzn
chlb
scor
shpd
dcrb
gbas
lcod
owfs
pwht
phlb
slbs
sabl
wcrk
Scorpaenichthys marmoratus
Paralicthys californicus
Scorpaena guttata
Semicossyphus pulcher
Cancer magister
Stereolepis gigas
Ophiodon elongatus
Caulolatilus princeps
Merluccius productus
Hippoglossus stenolepis
Panulirus interruptus
Anoplopoma fimbria
Genyonemus lineatus
albc
cuda
btna
pbnt
stna
swrd
wbas
ytna
yltl
Thunnus alalunga
Sphyraena argentea
Thunnus orientalis
Sarda chiliensis
Katsuwonus pelamis
Xiphias gladius
Atractoscion noblis
Thunnus albacares
Seriola dorsalis
cmck
jmck
msqd
nanc
phrg
pbtr
psdn
Scomber japonicus
Trachurus symmetricus
Loligo opalescens
Engraulis mordax
Clupea pallasii
Peprilus simillimus
Sardinops sagax
Migratory species
albacore
Pacific barracuda
Pacific bluefin tuna
Pacific bonito
skipjack tuna
swordfish
white seabass
yellowfin tuna
yellowtail
Pelagic species
chub (Pacific) mackerel
jack mackerel
market squid
northern anchovy
Pacific herring
Pacific pompano (butterfish)
Pacific sardine (pilchard)
*Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission code used in Figure 1
Hunboldt squid:
a memorable character
La Jolla (SIO)
SST Index
McGowan, Cayan and Dorman, 1998, Science 281: 210
Ending comments
1. Studies at the largest scales of combination suggest that
changes in the physical environment affect the availability of
fish, revenue earned by the total California catch and capital
investment, but additional detail is needed.
2. Management is having increasing affects on landings.
3. Success of management plans in achieving stability in the
fisheries will depend on consideration of environmental
influence.
4. Ecological space developed in EOF analysis may have utility
in organizing other ecosystem components.