KOCHI: Good news for fish lovers! The sardine fishes, that have migrated to other states from the Kerala coast due to the 'El Nino' phenomenon, will return in the coming years. According to fisheries researchers, crores of baby sardines have been born on the Kerala coast due to the breeding season and if the fishermen are careful not to catch these baby sardines, the availability of sardines will increase in the coming years.
It is common for sardines to leave and return to Kerala from time to time. If the current baby sardines are allowed to grow, the number of sardines will multiply in future years. During the period of trolling ban, it is illegal to catch fishes which are smaller than 10 cm. The researchers suggest that those with a size of 10-15 cm should also be avoided.
In 2021, only 3,297 tonnes of sardines were obtained in Kerala. This is 75 percent less than the number of sardines obtained last year. According to Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Kochi, this is the biggest decline in the number of sardines since 1994. In 1985, sardines had declined drastically. The availability gradually increased. A record of 3.9 lakh tonnes was obtained in 2012.
Reason for the decrease in sardines
Sardines availability (tonnes)