Coastal Aquaculture and Mariculture

Unit 2 - Marine Fishery resources of the world

2.4. Pacific Ocean
North West Pacific (FAO Fishing Area 57)
This includes high productive areas of South China Sea, east China Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan and Sea Okhotsk that are characterized by pronounced seasonal changes and zones of enrichment with ocean currents. The total catches of North West Pacific increased steadily from 1950 to 1980 by the expansion of two species mainly Alaskan Pollock and Japanese Pilchard. However, they collapsed in 1990's due to the strong rise in landings of other species like Japanese anchovy, large head hairtail, Japanese flying squid and salmon. The rise in landings of chub mackerel and jack mackerel are also reported. Significant contributions are made by the Pacific herring, Pink salmon and various crustacean species. In the year 1994, Japanese Anchovy has taken over as the largest catch in the yellow sea. Currently, the largest fish catch in the area continued to be of Alaskan Pollock. The Pacific cod also appears to have increased in Bering Sea. The stock of Japanese flying squid is fluctuating in recent years due to the highest fishing efforts.

North East Pacific (FAO Fishing Area 57)
This area extends from Northern California (420 N) to the Gulf of Alaska and eastern part of Berring Sea. The most abundant species in landing is Alaskan Pollock and sock eye salmon. Large reduction in catch occurred for Pacific halibut, Pacific Ocean perch, snow crab and shrimps. Many of the most important ground fish stock also followed same pattern of rapid increase initially, then a decline. The shoaling pelagic fishes like pilchard and anchovies and trawl fishery for cod, jack, mullets, sauries and hakes and rock lobster are also fully exploited.

Western Central Pacific (FAO Fishing Area 71)
This area extends from the seas of South East Asian countries down to North East Australia and further to East Pacific. The area is dominated by large continental shelf, which lies in the EEZ of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The shelf-area is rich in Penaeid shrimp and oceanic waters with rich tuna resources (skipjack and yellow fin tuna). The development of fisheries has been influenced by the global market. But the level of knowledge of the status of the resource is inadequate. Shrimps are the major coastal fisheries with banana prawn as the most valuable species. There could be potential for development of cephalopods in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam waters. The total catches in the area have increased and there are indications of overfishing. Even though various management measures have been introduced like closed season, mesh size regulation etc., the fishing pressure is kept on increasing.

Eastern Central Pacific (FAO Fishing Area 77)
The area covers northern California (42˚ N), USA to Southern Panama. The region is under the influence of two major surface current systems, the California current in the north and Equitorial current in the south. Interaction between the current systems generates upwelling and these characteristics strongly influence the distribution and abundance of fishery resources and fishing activities. Fishing for small and large pelagics is important around the major upwelling areas. Shrimps and demersal sustain in the tropical areas of Mexico, Central America and Panama. The biggest fishery in the region has been Californian sardine of USA (Sardinops sagax caeruleas). There is blooms and collapse followed by the rise in the anchovy (Engraulis mordax). The catches of Pac ific anchoveta and thread herring are also highly variable in Panama.
Other main pelagic species is the jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus). Tunas and other large pelagics are also important in Mexico and USA, Venezuela, Japan, Republic of Korea and other Asian countries. The main species are yellow fm tuna (Thunnus albacores), big eye (Thunnus obesus), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) and albacore (Thunnus alalunga). Shrimps and prawns sustain valuable fisheries throughout the area. Currently, the jumbo flying squid (Doscidius gigas) is identified as good resource in the area. Tuna and squids are exploited by different nations. There is no on going directed fishery for deep water demersals. Several bilateral programmes and management issues are still operated in USA, Mexico, California and Baja California area. Very few efforts have been devoted to studying the deep water demersals that are unexploited in the area. California sardine and anchovy are currently downto fairly low level with heavy exploitation. Similar is the case with Pacific anchoveta and thread herring. Other pelagics are moderately exploited, while most of the tunas are fully exploited. Some deep water shrimps and squids are virtually unexploited or underexploited in some areas.

South West Pacific (FAO Fishing Area 81)
This area extends between 10˚ S to 60˚ S enclosing Tasman Sea and Pacific ocean to 105˚ East Meridian. The type of habitats exploited in this area most varied from coastal continental fisheries to deep-water sea mount fisheries. NewZeland has been a pioneer in deep-water (> 600 m) trawl fisheries. The fishery consists of coastal species of Australian states, pelagic resources of South Western Pacific and deep waters species of NewZeland. Most important single species fisheries are crustaceans (Red rock lobster of NewZeland) and prawns of Australia. Other species like cod, hakes, haddock, blue whiting and blue grenadier are varied in the landings. The species showing greatest variation in the landing is of green back horse mackerel. Being a country with state federal structure, Australia has two levels of fisheries management viz. state controlled territorial waters (up to 3 miles offshore) and the common wealth government controlled resources in the offshore up to 200 miles.

South East Pacific (FAO Fishing Area 87)
This area covers the area along the western coast of South America from Northern Columbia to Southern Chile. Best and most productive trawling areas are in the Northern Peru and Southern Chile. The distribution and abundance of fishery resources are strongly influenced by the prevailing environmental condition. By far the major fishery in the area is for anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) the biggest single species fishery in the world. The recorded catch may vary from 10 to 12 million tonnes per year. Further more in the area, the anchoveta are mixed with sardine, hakes, shrimps, cephalopods, shellfish, sea birds and marine mammals. The adverse effect of El Nino on the abundance of Peruvian anchoveta is popular. The area is well known for large changes in resource abundance and species composition.
Recent resource changes of particular relevance to the area is the depletion of South American sardine (Sardinops sagax sagax), the second most contributor to the total production. The Chilean jack mackerel and jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) are the major contributors of over all increase in landings. Highly migrated tunas (skipjack and yellow fin tuna, eastern pacific bonito) support coastal pelagic fisheries in the area. Squid catch also increased in this region. This area is the major contributor of the world fish production (22%) and most of the marine fisheries in the area are under some kind of national fisheries management scheme like closed season, area and limited annual catch quota and size of the mesh etc. for certain regulatory measures.

South Pacific Island (FAO Fishing Area 71 and 77)
This region includes Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia. The island countries of Papua New Guinea rely heavily on this area. There are three main types of fisheries like industrial fisheries mainly for tuna, coastal small scale fisheries for export and coastal fisheries for domestic consumption. Fishing is carried out mainly by the distant water fishing nations like China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan and USA on payment basis to gain access to the EEZ. Tunas are the target for industrial fisheries. Besides tuna, there is small scale trawl fishery for shrimps. Tuna fisheries in the South Pacific could probably sustain an increase over the current total, provided fishing effort is well managed.

Southern Oceans (FAO Fishing Area 48, 58 and 88)
The southern ocean system is dominated by krill (Euphausia superba). The greatest importance of southern ocean is for whale fishing upto 1960. There after the fishery shifted to whale's food i.e. krill. Krill landing increased rapidly from 1977 to 1983. It reached a peak in 1986 and collapsed since then due to poor profitability and demand. Patagonian tooth fish is also an important component in the commercial catch.
In nutshell, it can be said that in most of the fishing areas, catches have reached their maximum potential. The catches are expected to improve from the Eastern 'and Western Indian Ocean and Western Central Pacific.