How do El Niño Southern Oscillation events impact on small pelagic fish catches in the west Java Sea

Abstract

We analyse how oceanographic factors included sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), and chlorophyll-a influence on small pelagic fish catches during El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. The small pelagic fish catches and oceanographic factors derived from satellite imagery were analysed for the 5 years datasets (2010-2014). In this study, we demonstrate two species small pelagic fish consist of Eastern Little Tuna (Euthynus affinis) and Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) as representative of dominant catch in the west Java Sea. The results showed that Eastern Little Tuna and Spanish Mackerel catches had increment during El Niño than during La Niña, with an average catches of 839.6 t (Eastern Little Tuna) and 273,7 t (Spanish Mackerel) during El Niño event. The average catches during La Niña event were significantly decreased of 602.6 t (Eastern Little Tuna) and 210.3 t (Spanish Mackerel). Further analysis performs the habitat optimum related to higher small pelagic fish catches were correspond with oceanographic conditions of SST ranged from 28-29°C, SSHA from 0-8 cm and chlorophyll-a ranged from 0.3 - 0.5 mg.m-3. This inferred that different oceanographic conditions during ENSO events might cause different of small pelagic fish catch rates in the study area.