Sardine lovers in Kerala are keeping their fingers crossed as the prices of Kerala’s staple fish has peaked with its rates reaching ₹400 per kg in the retail market.
The reasons attributed for the price hike to shortage of availability of this pelagic fish, warming of sea waters due to the El Nino phenomenon making a direct impact on Indian oil sardines across Kerala coast.
Social media sites are flooded with memes for the price rise with captions like “Every dog has its own day” and “Sardine you are beyond my reach” and so on.
Traditionally, this is the season for sardine off Kerala coast. With the commencement of trawling ban, the pelagic fishes such as sardines, mackerel, anchovies are found more in shallow waters, giving an abundant catch to fisher-folk. However, this year, fishermen could not derive its full potential with the disappearance of sardines.
Meeting livelihood
It is pointed out the disappearance of sardines was felt in 1940’s from the Kerala coast and the British had even banned its fishing.
Charles George, State President of Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi (TUCI), told businessline that the social impact of sardine shortage is huge as majority in Kerala’s fishery sector meet their livelihood through its sales.
The State is experiencing shortage of fish of all varieties for the last several years. Of the 8.32 lakh tonnes of production, the availability of sardine was 3.92 lakh tonnes in 2012. But in 2021, the sardine catch was merely 3,297 tonnes across Kerala coast in 2021, he said.
However, the situation has improved in 2022 with a catch of 1.10 lakh tonnes of sardines and 1.38 lakh tonnes in 2023. Given the existing circumstances, he said the availability of all kinds of fish in 2024 is likely to decline.
Of late, the Kerala coast has witnessed poor fish landings leading to the absolute dearth of sardines in the retail market, said T Pradeep Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos). Oil sardine landings in India have been dwindling for the past decade, with climate change cited as the most significant factor.
Migrating elsewhere
The sardines are reported to be migrating from the much warmer Indian Ocean stretches to the zones of lower temperature. The species are even seen to be abundantly caught from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh waters wherein there is no demand for that fish. Significant quantities from these regions are either sent to the fish meal industry or brought to Kerala in large quantities, he said.
Kufos is tracking the populations of a few species including sardines coupled with the ocean dynamism as part of an INCOIS funded project, he said.
KS Raju, Extension Council member, Kufos, stressed the need for bringing a special financial package to the fishermen so that fishing ban can be extended to traditional sector too for revitalising the fish population.