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Record-breaking El Niño could gut California’s crab and salmon fleets
Los Angeles Times • • world
Key Points:
- Federal scientists estimate an 81% chance of a ‘super’ El Niño, raising concerns about significant impacts on marine fisheries similar to the disruptions experienced during the 2015-16 season.
- Warmer ocean waters cause marine species to shift ranges, die, or become susceptible to disease, disrupting commercial fishing operations that rely on predictable seasonal catches like Dungeness crab and market squid.
- The 2015-16 El Niño led to harmful algal blooms that delayed crab seasons and caused job losses, while also pushing species like market squid northward and harming salmon populations due to altered river conditions and reduced prey availability.
- Aquaculture may also be affected as El Niño disrupts fish meal supplies, especially from Peruvian anchoveta, increasing costs for farmed fish imports such as Atlantic salmon and tilapia.
- Financial relief programs for fishermen impacted by such environmental events are criticized for their slow response, often taking years to distribute funds, which exacerbates economic hardship for affected fishing communities.
