The document provides a history of the Pacific sardine fishery, which underwent periods of boom and bust due to natural population fluctuations exacerbated by overfishing. The fishery grew rapidly in the early 20th century to meet wartime demand but collapsed in the 1940s when populations declined naturally amid continued high fishing pressure. Regulations were implemented in the 1970s during a period of low abundance, and the fishery has since fluctuated with sardine population cycles that are influenced by ocean temperature variations. Recent landings have declined sharply from 2007-2015 and the fishery was closed in 2015-2017 when biomass fell below sustainable levels.

1. History of the Pacific Sardine Fishery and its fluctuations
Advanced Fisheries
11/7/2016

2. Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax)
• Small, schooling, pelagic fish of the family Clupeidae
• Max size- 41cm, weight- ~.32kg
• Generally mature at 18 cm ( 2-3 years), dependent on biomass, temperature, latitude (Hill 1999)
• Can live to 13-25 years, most caught under 5 year of age in California ( Hill et al 2012)
• Sardine populations undergo extreme natural variation in abundance

3. Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax)
• Sardines feed on zooplankton, and are important forage fish for many marine mammals, birds, and piscovorous fish.
• Form large schools during the day and disperse at night (Love 2011)
• 2010 sampling- 30 m diameter, 6m height
Thayer et al.2013

4. Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax)
• Occurs in coastal temperate waters
• Three distinct sub-populations: Gulf of California, Baja California, and principle northern sub
population.
• Nutrient rich waters brought by the California current provide ideal open water habitat

5. History of the fishery:Pre-European
• Generally, Native American tribes on the W. Coast had difficulty fishing for marine pelagic fish.
• Mollusks, sea mammals, and mussels were most sought after marine animals
• Tribes focused most of their fishing effort on coastal rivers or rocky outcrops which were abundant with
Salmonids, rock fish, seaweed, and marine invertebrates.
• Fishing for Pacific sardines was almost entirely absent for Northwest California tribes.(Kroeber & Barret 1960)
• Sea going canoes were not reliable on the open water of the Pacific Ocean

6. History of the fishery : Pre-European
• However, it is likely that Central California Coast tribes were able to fish for Pacific sardines in certain areas
such as Elk Horn Slough near Moss Landing, Ca.
• Shell middens associated with villages, camps, and processing sites show that over 50 % of the catch found in
the lagoons and estuaries of Elk Horn Slough consisted of Pacific herring, Northern anchovy, Pacific sardine,
flounder, and grunion
• Shallower waters and calmer conditions likely made sardines more prone to seine and dip nets.
Maine oyster
shell midden

7. History of the fishery- pre-WW1
• In general, the Pacific sardine fishery was not substantial during the early 1800’s.
• It is likely early settlers bartered for fishes with Native Americans
• California was very sparsely populated during this time, so most fishing was subsistence based.
• Commercial fishing picked up during the Gold Rush with the influx of immigrants
• However, Pacific Sardines were still not highly sought after.
• Few canneries existed which packed modest amounts of tuna and sardine.
• Salmon, sturgeon, rockfish, and flat fish fisheries were given the most effort.
• Quote from 1858 dispatch from S.F to N.Y tribune: … “the cod, halibut, herring, salmon, smelt, sturgeon are
abundant, and are easily caught, while a large market is ready to buy them at a high price […] A small fish called
the “sardine”, supposed by many to be a species of herring, is abundant, but not much value is commonly
attached to it.”

8. History of the Fishery- pre-WW1
• Advances in technology during the late 1800’s set the stage for the rise of the Pacific Sardine
Fishery in California.
• 1895- first gasoline engines were used in S.F Bay. By 1912, all boats were gasoline powered.
• Also during this time, inexpensive ice machines were produced
• Both these advances allowed for longer offshore outings for pelagic fish species which had yet to be
exploited.

9. History of the Fishery- 1914- 1940
• Sardine Fishery developed as a response for the demand for food during WW1 (1914-1918).
• Large push for more domestic consumption from Federal Food Administration & The Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries
• “Eat more fish” slogan became common.
• Spurred by studies on how to handle and store under utilized fish species, as well relaxed regulations.
• 1915 –2,000 metric tons of sardine
• 1918- 71,000 metric tons of sardine

10. History of the Fishery- 1918-1940
• Landings increased from 1916 to 1936
• During this time, the catch more than doubled every six years and reached its maximum of a billion
and a half pounds in 1936
• Pacific sardines supported the largest fishery in the western hemisphere during the 1930s and
1940s, with landings in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, and Mexico
• Sardine catch exceeded the catch of all other fish species combined

11. Uses of Pacific Sardine
• Although a valuable food source, much higher profits were to be had by reducing sardines into
soaps, oil, and fish meal
• Rendering first done in 1918 as a way to process fish remains
• Sardine oil was in high demand for paint and soap while fish meal was bought immediately for
chicken feed.
• Became evident that profit margins were higher for reduced sardines.
• Sardine reduction drove the industry post WW1 to 1940.

12. Method of Catch
• Early 1900’s- primarily by gill nets and purse seiners
• 1905- first lampara net brought to U.S from Morrocco
• Lampara nets are lighter and could be towed with smaller vessels and less crew.

13. Regulation Issues
• 1920’s- conflicts of interest between sardine reduction companies and the California Division of Fish and Game
increase
• Over 100 canneries from S.D to S.F during this time period
• As a result, CDFG prohibited the reduction of whole sardines.
• rendering boats located outside state jurisdiction
• processors put only a small portion of fish in each can, the rest for rendering

14. Regulation Issues
• Also during this time, issues arose between State and Federal agencies on how to regulate the Pacific sardine
• Late 1930’s - Division of Fish and Game- management of the fishery, “protector of the resource”
• saw overfishing as the primary concern . Advocated for 250,000 ton limit
• from early on, state biologists gave clear warnings of a collapse of the fishery
• U.S Bureau of Commercial Fisheries- no management responsibilities, aimed to develop and maintain U.S
commercial fisheries
• viewed the decline as a result of issues not pertaining to overfishing
• Engaged in intense debates and meetings ,often based on same data sets.
U.S Bureau of Commercial Fisheries

15. History of the Fishery: 1940’s – 2000’s
• Pacific sardine populations collapsed in the late 1940’s, (some short term reversals) leading to extremely low
levels
• Federal Agencies took over regulations in 1942 (WW2), did not impose state recommended limits, intent was to
maximize sardine canning.
• Late 1940’s, state regained control, however stock was depleted.
• 1967 to 1973, California landings of sardines were limited to an incidental take of 15 percent sardines by weight
mixed with other fish.
• 1974, a moratorium on sardine fishing was established, which restricted landings to the 15 percent incidental
limit and eliminated the use of sardines as bait
• Through 1981, sardine landings were less than 50 tons per year.
• Increase in catch from 1970’s to late 1990’s from less than 100 tons to 62,000 tons in 1999.

17. History of the Fishery: 2000-present
• From 2007 to 2015- 91 % reduction in sardine landings ( Pacific Fishery Marine Council)
• 2015- closure of fishery from Mexican border to Canada.

18. Causes for decline:
natural population
fluctuations
Pacific sardines exhibit natural fluctuations in
abundance .
Roughly a 60 year cycle in which population decline
and recoveries average about 30-36 years.
Otolith studies have found that Pacific Sardines are a
young species, with no remains being found past 7,000
years old
Some suggest that population fluctuations are due to a
new species occupying a new habitat
However, most studies link changes in ocean
temperature as the main driver of fluctuations
Over the past 100 years, sardine populations have
increased during periods of warmer than average
ocean temperature, and decreased during colder
periods.
Warmer waters increase the range of Pacific Sardines
and provides more nutrient rich waters spawning
waters.
Research shows that Pacific sardine and Northern
anchovy population abundances alternate, likely linked
to climatic conditions as Northern anchovy prefer colder
waters.
Lluch-cota 2013 PNAS

19. Conclusions
• It is likely that overfishing and natural variations in population cycles, due to climate, are both key factors which explain the
history of the Pacific sardine fishery. This question is still being highly researched.
• However, more recent studies suggest that the 1940’s collapse was unavoidable regardless of management practices.
• To this day, the California sardine fishery is one of the only fisheries which recognizes the effects of Sea Surface Temperature on
the abundance of sardine stock. Models incorporate SST factors when determining harvest and assessing stock recruitment.
(Lindegren et al 2013)
• 2016-2017- no fishing season, biomass estimate below 150,000 mt cutoff.
• Fishery will consist of live bait fishery, incidental catch fishery, and tribal fishery ( NOAA)