Evaluation of the current state of small pelagic fisheries in the Colombian Pacific: ensuring the sustainability of the resource and evaluating its response to climatic events

Abstract

Abstract. Commercial fishing of small pelagic species in Colombia, mainly "carduma" (Cetengraulis mysticetus) and "plumuda" (Opisthonema spp.), has been recorded since 1970. Both are used to produce fish meal for aquaculture and poultry and for canned foods. These two species are filter feeders, and therefore support higher levels of the food chain (other fish, birds and marine mammals), and artisanal fishermen use them as bait. Between 2005 and 2010, 86.131 t have been captured (X = 14.355 t yr−1), and a strong reduction was noticed in 2009 (6.969 t). Carduma is considered a total spawning species. However, from 1997 to 2000 and from 2008 to date, atypical reproductive behavior of the species has been observed, including partition of the spawning period and the reduction of the volume of eggs and larvae released to the environment. Both situations are linked to thermal anomalies such as El Niño and La Niña events. Therefore, the process of assigning the global quota of extraction has been revised to take into account the reduction of total capture during the last years and the inconsistencies of the reproductive processes. The Ministry of Agriculture reduced the quota by 10%, leaving available a total of 27 000 t for 2010 and reduced it again to 25 000 t for 2011. It is important to maintain the management measures that are already implemented on this resource (bans during reproduction seasons, catch quotas, regulation of mesh sizes for the fishing nets, and limiting the number of new vessels) and considering other measures such as season closure for recruitment and establishment of marine protected areas to further contribute to the sustainability of these fisheries.

Protection of spawning habitat for potamodromous fish, an urgent need for the hydropower planning in the Andes

“…El acuerdo No. 00013 de octubre 12 de 2000 estableció la cuota de pesca de la carduma en 30.000 toneladas en el Pacífico colombiano, el 22 de septiembre de 2009, mediante Resolución 0266, el Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural, reduce la cuota en un 10% y el 24 de septiembre de 2010, mediante Resolución 0354 la ajusta a 25.000 ton, como medida precautoria ante los efectos de eventos climáticos anómalos, sobre los aspectos reproductivos de la especie, que aparentemente por excesos de lluvias se podría estar alterando la época e intensidad del desove (Zapata et al, 2013).…”

Distribución, composición y abundancia del ictioplancton en tres áreas marinas protegidas del Pacífico colombiano

“…The protected area of Sanquianga NNP, located in the coastal zone, had the highest levels of abundance, Cetengraulis mysticetus being the most abundant species, and one of the zone's most important from an ecological and economic point of view, as it is at the bottom of the food web and, in the past, was also the main raw material for the fish meal and fish oil industries (Beltrán-León, 1992;Beltrán-León et al, 1994;Zapata et al, 2013). Of the three areas, the Gorgona NNP displayed the greatest levels of diversity and richness, a finding that might be expected for an intermediate zone, as species from the coastal and the oceanic zones may be present there, though at lower levels of abundance.…”

“…El área protegida del PNN Sanquianga, ubicada en la zona costera presentó la mayor abundancia, dominada por Cetengraulis mysticetus, la cual se constituye en una de las principales especies desde el punto de vista ecológico y económico para la zona costera, ya que soporta la base de la cadena trófica y en su momento era la materia prima de la industria de harina y aceite de pescado (Beltrán-León, 1992;Beltrán-León et al, 1994;Zapata et al, 2013). El PNN Gorgona presentó la mayor diversidad y riqueza de las tres áreas, lo que puede ser normal como zona intermedia, dado que en ella pueden confluir especies tanto de la zona costera como de la oceánica, pero con abundancia más baja, dominada por Bregmaceros bathymaster de importancia ecológica.…”

Fluid geographies: Marine territorialisation and the scaling up of local aquatic epistemologies on the Pacific coast of Colombia

“…They operate large boats with specialised fishing gear along the coast, relying on four major ports: Bahía Solano, Buenaventura, Guapí and Tumaco (Figure ) (Wielgus, Zeller, Caicedo‐Herrera, & Sumaila, ). Fisheries have been dramatically affected by overfishing, extreme El Niño Southern Oscillation phases, high fuel prices, habitat destruction and demand reduction, leading to the collapse of the shallow‐water shrimp fishery during the 1980s and the carduma ( Cetengraulis mysticetus ) fishery in 2013 (Díaz‐Ochoa & Quiñones, ; Zapata et al., ).…”