Sardine: a fable of six blind men and two elephants Paul E. Smith NOAA-Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, California CMD La Jolla November 2003

The migratory sardine can be succinctly described as feeding in the north in summer, migrating south in autumn, spawning in the south in the spring and migrating north. Younger age groups may not migrate far. The red arrow indicates the migratory range of a southerly stock of sardines from another habitat with differing seasonality mortality and growth rates.

Summary We have demonstrated the ability to provide and instantaneous, absolute estimate of abundance of sardine and anchovy with individual and joint error estimates on all parameters. There is not enough money in the assessment system to provide these at the same time nor with sufficient frequency to regulate the fishery. Lower price proxy measures are used for regulation and appear to be sufficient for now.

Summary (cont) As to explaining biomass changes, or generating recruitment estimates, or relating the recruitment of sardine/anchovy, or the direct effect of the environment on either species, we continue to be immersed in a sea of ignorance. Despite this, the value of local time series and population dynamics and biological information on the CalCOFI anchovy/sardine pair is a beacon for interspecies interaction on the regional scale.