A 21-year ichthyoplankton collection confirms sardine spawning in KwaZulu-Natal waters

Pelagic eggs of marine fish were collected weekly from shelf waters at Park Rynie on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast from 1987 to 2007 to investigate seasonal and annual patterns in the abundance of sardine Sardinops sagax eggs. After a sudden appearance in June each year, sardine eggs were found persistently throughout the winter–spring period before disappearing in early summer. From changes in the cross-shelf distribution of eggs, it is inferred that sardine shoals are close inshore in June, as they arrive in KwaZulu-Natal waters from the south, then the shoals disperse offshore and thereafter return inshore before their return migration southward in early summer. The period 2001–2007 yielded significantly fewer eggs than the previous 14 years of the study.     

The 2005 KwaZulu-Natal sardine run survey sheds new light on the ecology of small pelagic fish off the east coast of South Africa

Despite much public awareness surrounding the annual migration of sardine Sardinops sagax northward along the east coast of South Africa in winter each year, relatively little research effort has been expended to improve understanding of the ‘sardine run’. For this reason, a dedicated multidisciplinary survey, timed to coincide with the annual sardine run, was conducted off the East Coast in June and July of 2005. The major objective of the survey was to estimate the biomass of sardine off the East Coast during the run, and to compare this with biomass estimates collected during previous surveys conducted in this area during the late 1980s when the South African sardine population was at a considerably smaller size. We also collected data on the distribution of sardine and other small pelagic fish species and their eggs, the biological characteristics of sardine during the run, and data on the hydrography (temperature and currents) and lower trophic levels (phytoplankton and zooplankton) of the region. Results suggest that the biomass of sardine off the East Coast in winter remains relatively small and consistent, regardless of overall sardine population size. The narrow continental shelf to the east of Port Alfred, which is dominated offshore by the fast-flowing warm Agulhas Current, constrains the amount of suitable habitat for sardine and other clupeoids such as anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus, West Coast round herring Etrumeus whiteheadi and East Coast round herring Etrumeus teres, and hence precludes these species from attaining a high biomass in this region. Additionally, primary and secondary productivity levels are much lower than elsewhere on the western and eastern Agulhas Bank off the south coast of South Africa, suggesting that the sardine run is not a feeding migration. A previous hypothesis that the run is mainly a result of an expansion of the distributional range of these fish as conditions become favourable in winter due to sporadic cooling off the East Coast is also not entirely supported by results from the survey. It is suggested that a migration for the purposes of spawning off this coast when conditions become favourable is a more likely incentive for sardine to undertake this arduous journey, despite increased predation and poor feeding conditions.     

Ecosystem considerations of the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run

The annual winter sardine run along the South African east coast impacts the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) coastal system in a variety of ways. These include ecological impacts, such as enrichment of a largely oligotrophic environment, competition between migrant sardine Sardinops sagax, other migrant and resident small pelagic fish species, and interactions with predators, as well as the socio-economic impacts of the sardine run on the local people. Enrichment of KZN coastal waters with organic nitrogen contained within the sardine is compared with alternative sources of nitrogen such as upwelling, river, sewage and stormwater runoff, and groundwater discharge. The sardine run appears to contribute most nitrogen to this system—96 000 t compared to 500–3 300 t for each of the other significant sources at trophic level 2, although upwelling estimates are extremely wide. Nonetheless, the majority of surviving sardine, their young and predators return southwards, suggesting that the nett export of nitrogen to KZN waters during the run is likely to be of a similar order of magnitude as that from other sources. Further, whereas the sardine supply of nitrogen is exclusively during winter, the bulk of the riverine input is in summer, thus ensuring that nitrogen supply in the region is maintained at fairly constant levels throughout the year. Competition for food between small pelagic fish is minimised by resource partitioning, but further dietary data are needed for resident species. Although interactions between sardine and top predators must exist, further studies are needed to confirm links between top predator life cycles and the sardine run. The estimated value of sardine as a tourist spectacle is compared to that from a seasonal beach-seine or boat-based purse-seine fishery for this species. Whereas the estimated value of the sardine as a tourist attraction appears substantially higher than could be derived from catching them, the small-scale beach-seine fishery itself draws tourists and also provides limited, seasonal employment opportunities.     

Surviving off junk: low-energy prey dominates the diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus at Mercury Island,Namibia, between 1996 and 2009

The diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus in Namibia consisted mainly of sardine Sardinops sagax in the 1950s. Since the collapse of pelagic fish stocks in the 1970s, birds fed mainly on bearded (pelagic) goby Sufflogobius bibarbatus, a low-energy prey species. We present diet data for African penguins breeding at Mercury Island, the largest colony for this species in Namibia, between 1996 and 2009. Bearded goby was the main prey item throughout the study period, both in terms of frequency of occurrence (67.8%; SD 31.2) and in terms of mass (59.2%; SD 31.5). Diet composition varied throughout the year as well as between years; birds occasionally fed on a variety of fish species other than bearded goby. In Namibia, poor prey abundance is considered as a major factor contributing to the decline of penguin numbers after the collapse of the sardine stocks. However, bearded goby appears to be relatively abundant along Namibia's southern coast and low prey quality rather than low abundance appears to be a key factor influencing population dynamics of African penguins and other marine top predators in southern Namibia.     

Influence of the annual sardine run on catches of large sharks in the protective gillnets off KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa,and the occurrence of sardine in shark diet

Shark catches in the protective nets set off the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, are strongly influenced by the sardine run, the winter influx of shoals of Sardinops sagax from the south-west. The effect of the sardine run, which is highly variable from year to year, is greatest in June and July at beaches south of Durban. Total annual shark catch and effort are presented for the period 1952–2005, and total monthly shark catch on the KZN south coast for the period May–August, 1965–2005. Measures to reduce catches of sharks associated with the sardine run have been introduced and have been increasingly successful. Reliable species-specific catch data are available for the period 1978–2005 only. For this period, the spatio-temporal distribution of each of 14 species of shark and the frequency of occurrence of sardine in their diets is documented. Occurrence varies according to species, as does the apparent influence of the sardine run on shark distribution. During June and July on the KZN south coast, sardine were found in the diet of all but two species and frequency of occurrence was 40% or greater in eight species. The presence of copper or bronze whaler sharks Carcharhinus brachyurus in KZN waters appears to be strongly associated with the sardine run, as does that of certain life-history stages of dusky sharks C. obscurus. Spinner sharks C. brevipinna and smooth hammerhead sharks Sphyrna lewini are caught in greater numbers in summer than in winter, but appear to shift their spatial distribution seasonally to feed on sardine.     

Coastal Upwelling Activity on the Pacific Shelf of the Baja California Peninsula

High primary productivity on the Pacific coast of the Baja California Peninsula is usually related to coastal upwelling activity that injects nutrients into the euphotic zone in response to prevailing longshore winds (from the northwest to north). The upwelling process has maximum intensity from April to June, with the coastal upwelling index varying from 50 to 300 m³/s per 100 m of coastline. Along the entire coast of the peninsula, the upwelling intensity changes in accordance with local wind conditions and bottom topography. Spatial variability can also be modulated by the influence of mesoscale meanders of the California Current. We have identified the seasonal and synoptic variability of upwelling signatures on the Baja California shelf, using averaged monthly and weekly sea surface temperature (SST) distributions obtained from remote sensing imagery from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer in the period from 1996 to 2001. Analysis of SST distribution and direct experimental data on temperature and nutrient concentration shows that the areas with the coldest SST anomalies were closely related to the bottom slope, shelf width, and coastline orientation relating to wind direction. We also assume that the nutrient transport into the coastal lagoons may be forced by the coupling of coastal upwelling and tidal pumping of surface waters into the lagoon system. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Management application of an empirical model of sardine–climate regime shifts

In previous work, we show that accumulated anomalies of physical indices are proportional to California sardine landings and that the accumulated anomaly curves change the sign of their slope, showing maxima (minima) when climate is favorable (unfavorable) to successful completion of the sardine life cycle change. Here, we find unique time series characteristics of the periods when the climate changed for sardines in the 1930–2004 period. Only one 50–70 year cycle is examined but the consistency of the dominant signals in measurements taken independently within the sardine's environment at locations separated by thousands of kilometers, supports the argument that the events affecting the ocean-climate of the California Current region and consequently sardine life-cycle are large-scale and persist over multi-decadal periods. Year-to-year monitoring of the climate regime-state in the physical environment and its accumulating effects on sardine populations is also described. The ability to analyze climate shifts and monitor their effects on the sardine populations can reduce uncertainty in making resource management, social and business decisions. Possible effects of management decisions affecting transboundary fisheries issues within United States (US) and between the US and its Pacific neighbors are clarified. The methods presented will add an analysis of low-frequency events to the current management oriented analyses of interannual events, which are part of the existing Pacific Fishery Management Council sardine management plan.     

The value of Pacific sardine as forage fish

This paper develops a simple bioeconomic model to investigate the economic and ecological issues associated with the commercial harvest of Pacific sardines relative to their value as forage for commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important predators in the California Current ecosystem. The model was used to evaluate how changes in the net per unit value of sardines, the net per unit value of sardine predators, and the transfer efficiency of predators affect the total net value of sardines, i.e. the net value of catches and the net value from sardine predation. Given recent market conditions for sardines and their commercial predators, and transfer efficiencies derived from predation data of the 1960s, it was found that the value of commercially caught predators and the efficiency by which they convert sardines to exploitable biomass were most important in determining the viability of the sardine fishery. The values assumed for predators that are not commercially caught were of no consequence under these conditions. Taking the value of sardines as forage into account does not necessarily mean an either-or situation for the fishery. As long as there is some measure of net value from the fishery and net value from predation, both benefit society at large.     

Socio-economic aspects of boat-based ecotourism during the sardine run within the Pondoland Marine Protected Area,South Africa

Understanding recreational aspects of the tourism industry developing around the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run is important for the protection and sustainability of the Pondoland Marine Protected Area (MPA), on the south-east coast of South Africa. Between June and July 2007, a total of 128 people visited this area to experience the sardine run using boat-based access. An onsite questionnaire survey of 108 (84.4%) participants at Port St Johns and Mbotyi indicated that the direct value of their visit was around R5.47 million (95% CI = R5.14–5.82 million). Although the benefits of the sardine run tourism industry extend throughout the South African economy, local indigenous communities receive little direct benefit. Almost half of all sardine run participants, however, showed a willingness to contribute R500 or more towards a community development programme. On a ranking from one (poor) to five (excellent), the average participant's response to overall quality of the experience and quality of the dive charter was 3.9 and 4.4, respectively. Over a quarter (27%) of participants never saw a sardine during their visit, despite the fact that their trip was marketed as ‘the sardine run’, so participant experiences often did not meet with expectations. The sardine run within the Pondoland MPA is currently an undermarketed and underexploited resource.     

The relationship of anchovy and sardine to water masses in the Peruvian Humboldt Current System from 1983 to 2005

The Humboldt Current System (HCS) is dominated by two pelagic species; Peruvian anchovy or anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) and sardine (Sardinops sagax). Using data from 43 acoustic surveys conducted from 1983 through 2005 by the Peruvian Marine Institute (IMARPE), we examined the distribution of these two species relative to water masses. We tested the hypothesis that anchovy was found more frequently in upwelled cold coastal water (CCW) and mixed waters (MCW) than in other water types and that sardine was more associated with more offshore oceanic surface subtropical water (SSW). Surface temperature, salinity, latitude, season and distance to the coast data were used to define water masses. Results using generalized additive models (GAM), modelling sardine and anchovy presence–absence as a function of year, water body, bottom depth and latitude, showed that anchovy were primarily found in CCW and MCS, while sardine were more ubiquitous relative to water masses with some predilection for SSW. These results were supported by various indexes of anchovy and sardine distribution versus water mass as well as temporal and location variables.     

Broad-scale distribution patterns of sardine and their predators in relation to remotely sensed environmental conditions during the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run

The annual movement of South African sardine Sardinops sagax up the east coast of South Africa, known as the ‘sardine run’, was investigated using data from aerial surveys for the period 1988–2005 and compared with remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a data. Sardine sighting rates were highest within the Waterfall Bluff Bight off the Eastern Cape Coast, where conditions appeared to be most favourable. Sardine and predator sightings decreased significantly northwards of Mdoni on the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) coast, whereas the proportion of nearshore sightings increased. The causal mechanism for this inshore concentration is suggested to be the influx of warm Agulhas Current water from the Durban Eddy that forces sardine shoreward. Cape gannet Morus capensis, common dolphin Delphinus capensis and sardine distributions were associated, and there was an association between SST and sardine and predator distributions. There was a marked increase in bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus sightings upon commencement of the sardine run, with these dolphins being consid-ered to be a ‘migratory’ stock that enters KZN waters every winter.     

2015–16 ENSO contributed reduction in oil sardines along the Kerala coast,south‐west India

Fishery along the west coast of India largely depends on pelagic fish such as oil sardines, which are dominant during the south‐west monsoon. However, the response of sardine population to the warming caused by the climatic events such as El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is poorly studied. Here, we hypothesize that the ENSO‐related changes in biogeochemistry can adversely affect the oil sardines. We have used biogeochemical data collected along the Kerala coast during September 2015 (ENSO year) and September 2017 (a normal year) supported by catch per unit effort (CPUE) and fishery landing data to show the ENSO‐related bio‐physical dynamics and its impact on the oil sardine population along the south‐west coast of India. During the 2015 ENSO year, upwelling velocity decreased minimizing cooling of surface waters and resulted with an increase in sea surface temperature (SST) (~1.8°C). Consequent decrease in nutrient levels favoured nano‐phytoplankton and pico‐phytoplankton. On the other hand, during September 2017 when the ENSO effect was nullified, the decreased SST and availability of nutrients in the euphotic zone resulted in the dominance of micro‐phytoplankton. The hydrographic conditions (reduction in upwelling intensity), and reduction in micro‐phytoplankton abundance and zooplankton density in turn perhaps affected the fishery potential of the region. Oil sardines population (along the west coast) collapsed from 1.55 lakh tones (2014) to 0.46 lakh tones during 2015–2016 ENSO event, while in 2017 the conditions become favorable and their population was back to normal (1.27 lakh tones). Our results are in close agreement with our hypothesis and suggest that ENSO events could reduce phytoplankton productivity and disrupt the food chain, which in turn can affect the oil sardine population along the west coast of India.     

Biological characteristics of sardine caught by the beach-seine fishery during the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run

Catches of sardine Sardinops sagax made by the beach-seine fishery off the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) coast during the annual winter sardine run have been sampled intermittently since 1951, and a substantial amount of data on various biological characteristics of sardine caught off KZN now exists. Information on length frequency distributions, mean caudal length (CL), length–mass relationships, condition factor (CF), age distributions, sex ratio, gonad maturity and diet have been collated and are presented in this paper. Sardine caught off the KZN coast during the past six decades had a mean CL of 17.4 cm (SD 2.0) and have shown a significant increasing trend in mean CL through time; had substantially lower mass-at-length compared to fish that did not participate in the sardine run; have shown two distinct periods of decrease in CF between 1979 and 2005; ranged in age from 1 to 7 years but were numerically dominated by younger fish (1-, 2- or 3-year-olds); had a 1:1 sex ratio and gonads that were predominantly actively developing and undergoing maturation and vitellogenesis; and had a diet dominated by zooplankton, primarily calanoid and harpactacoid copepods and fish eggs. These characteristics, together with some information on meristic and morphological characteristics of sardine caught off KZN, are compared to characteristics of sardine from elsewhere off South Africa's coast to assess the possibility that the former may be a distinct stock or a functionally discrete adult assemblage. Significant differences in characteristics such as CF, vertebral count and body shape were found, supporting the hypothesis that KZN sardine represent a distinct stock or a functionally discrete adult assemblage. However, small sample sizes and plausible alternative explanations for these differences weaken, but do not invalidate, this hypothesis, and further work is needed to answer this question.     

Numerical simulation of larval shrimp dispersion in the Northern Region of the Gulf of California

The trajectories of shrimp larvae in the northern part of the Gulf of California were studied from a Lagrangian point of view using a three-dimensional numerical model. The advection of particles was carried out over fortnightly periods starting at spring and neap tides. The northernmost region of the gulf has important shrimp fisheries and nursery areas have been located off the coast of Baja California at San Felipe (SF) and off the Sonora coast at Santa Clara (SC). Though the reproduction zone is believed to be south of these nursery areas, there is much that remains unknown about the zone and the routes used by shrimps to reach these areas. Passive and active simulations of shrimp larvae drift were carried out in order to study the possible areas of shrimp spawning and their migratory routes. The active migration schemes were based on assumptions that the larvae can be advected only: (1) during the day, (2) at night or (3) when the currents flow in the northward direction toward the nursery areas. It was found that the larvae in Santa Clara and San Felipe came from different production zones. No differences were found between the spring and neap tide scenarios except for the diurnal migration experiments. The distance traveled by shrimp larvae was always less than 40–50 km, except in the cases when the larvae selected the appropriate direction to the nursery areas when the larvae travel 140 km to SC and 95 km to SF.     

深圳大鹏半岛南岸西冲海滩的沉积物来源、平面形态稳定性及横向变化

The coast of the Dapeng Peninsula has been honored as one of "the eight most beautiful coasts in China". The most precious tourism resource for the peninsula is headland bay beaches, among which the beach at Xichong on the southern coast of the peninsula is the longest and the most important one. The information of the stability, sedimentary source and shape change of the beach is very important for maintaining the beach in terms of sustainable development of the peninsula. Heavy minerals in the sand of the beach and the inland stream at Xichong are compared with those of a nearby beach on the same coast to determine the beach sand source; with help of a computer software, MEPBAY, the equilibrium planforms of the beaches on the peninsula are compared with those of an island without rivers to evaluate the stream’s effects on the beach stability; cross shore profiles along the Xichong beach are also surveyed in different seasons of a year to assess the annual shore normal beach changes affected by the stream input, and the relation between the equilibrium planform state and cross shore changes of the beach. It is shown that(1) stream is the main sedimentary source of the beach and the weathering materials of the rocky headlands on both sides of the bay transported by waves are the second source for the beach but it is limited, sand from an inner shelf is not the sedimentary source for the beach at present and was not even during the Holocene transgression;(2) the Xichong beach cannot reach static equilibrium around the entire bay shoreline, the segment of the shoreline where a stream outlet is located is in dynamic equilibrium, and the unstable section occurs in the wave shadow region in the lee of an offshore island;(3) no matter whether the section of the beach shoreline at Xichong is in an equilibrium state or not, it is eroded in the typhoon season and recovered after the season, the maximum change in erosion and accretion occurs in the unstable segment;(4) the Xichong beach can only have small sand body since it is supplied with sand mainly form inland streams, resulting in a possible danger in which sand loss induced by human activities or huge storms cannot be replenished naturally.     

Abundance and distribution of avian and marine mammal predators of sardine observed during the 2005 KwaZulu-Natal sardine run survey

Opportunistic observations to determine the relative abundance and distribution of marine mammal and seabird predators of sardine Sardinops sagax were carried out during a dedicated multidisciplinary research survey off the South African east coast in June and July of 2005 that was timed to coincide with the annual sardine run. Associations between different predator species, between predators and clupeoids, and between predators and oceanographic variables, were examined. Species’ distributions were primarily separated by latitude and distance from shore. Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni, African penguin Spheniscus demersus, Cape cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis and West Coast round herring Etrumeus whiteheadi were predominantly found in the cool southern part of the survey region. Peak sardine run activity occurred within 4 km of shore at the northward limit of a strip of cool water (<21 °C) stretching along the East Coast. The principal predators associated with this activity were common dolphins Delphinus capensis and Cape gannets Morus capensis, and their nearshore distribution was associated with sardine and East Coast round herring E. teres. Few clupeoids were encountered along the KwaZulu-Natal continental shelf, although patches of high sardine abundance were recorded near the shore immediately south of Durban. It is clear that during the 2005 survey the sardine run terminated in this region, probably as a result of the nearshore intrusion of warm water from the Agulhas Current.     

Distribution and abundance of the Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) in the Gulf of California and their relation with the environment

In 1989–90 the small pelagic fishery of the Gulf of California began to show a very marked decline in the catch of its main component, the Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax). The catch plummeted from 292,000 t in 1988–89 to 7000 t in 1991–92 and 1992–93. This caused a serious economic crisis in the local fishery fleet and industry, and resulted in the loss of 3000 jobs. In 1993–94 the fishery showed signs of recovery as the abundance of the Pacific sardine began to recover. The catch improved to 128,000 t in 1993–94 and further to 215,000 t in 1996–97. In trying to understand this great variability, we proposed the hypothesis that the distribution and the abundance of the Pacific sardine of the Gulf of California is determined by the wind patterns (upwelling) and the sea surface temperature. The results of analyzing data from 25 cruises showed the period of low relative abundance between 1990 and 1993 and one of high abundance between 1993 and 1996. The range of the sardine's distribution expanded as its abundance increased and contracted when abundances were low. The relationship between the abundances of the sardine and environmental variables proved to nonlinear and bell-shaped. The adjusted pattern explained 78.8% of the variability of the sardine abundance. The highest abundance are produced by moderate upwelling (13–18 m³s⁻¹ per 10 m of coastline) and sea surface temperatures of between 19°C and 25°C.     

Spatial variation in meristic and morphometric characteristics of sardine Sardinops sagax around the coast of southern Africa

Spatial variability in phenotypic characteristics within a fish population may be used to infer the existence of multiple stocks, and knowledge of the population structure of exploited species is important for their sustainable management. In this study we investigated geographic variability in meristic (vertebral count) and morphometric (body shape) characteristics of sardine Sardinops sagax from three southern African regions: Namibia, the South African west coast, and the South African south coast. There were significant regional differences in vertebral counts, with Namibian fish tending to have more vertebrae than South African fish, but with no difference between sardine off the South African west and south coasts. Body shape was characterised using morphometric landmarks, and shape changes were investigated using geometric morphometrics, with influences on fish shape assessed using multivariate regressions. To remove the effects of allometry, the 22 shape variables (represented by Procrustes coordinates) were regressed against fish size (represented by centroid size). There was a significant allometric effect, which was removed by using the residuals of these regressions in further analyses. A multivariate multiple regression was applied to the 22 size-corrected shape variables and to three covariates: condition factor, stomach fullness and fat stage. The significant influence of these covariates was removed by using the residuals from this regression in a canonical variate analysis, where corrected shape variables were classified in relation to region, year and sex. The Mahalanobis distances from the canonical variate analysis differed significantly for most combinations of classifier variables, with clear separations among the three regions. Sardinops sagax off Namibia had thicker bodies and more contracted tail regions than South African fish, whereas S. sagax off the South African south coast had thinner bodies and smaller heads than those off the west coast. These results support the hypothesis of multiple sardine stocks around southern Africa.     

加利福尼亚流系流场的季节性演变

本文利用三维数值模型(ROMS-Co Si NE)分析了整个加利福尼亚流系水平流场的季节性演变过程,研究了美国加州中部海域流场垂直结构的季节性变化特征,并探讨了其动力学机制。研究发现:(1)数值模型能够较为准确的模拟流场的季节性变化,与浮标观测数据以及前人的研究结果符合良好;(2)从表层到200m,加利福尼亚潜流向高纬度扩张,近岸上升流急流则向高纬度撤退,加州南部海域的中尺度涡更显著;(3)在加州中部海域,近岸急流的最大值(约15cm/s)发生在夏季,位于近岸的表层海域;加利福尼亚潜流最大值(约4cm/s)发生于冬季,出现在离岸100km的125m处;加利福尼亚流在春季达到全年最大值(约5cm/s),流轴位于离岸(400—600km)的表层海水。加利福尼亚流系的流场具有显著的季节性变化,研究进一步表明这主要受地转关系调控。     

Contrast in life histories of exploited fishes and ecosystem structures in coastal waters off west Canada and east Korea

By reviewing the history of fishery exploitation in the coastal waters of west Canada and east Korea, related with contrasting life history strategies of the dominant species, the fishery management challenges that each country would face in the upcoming decades were outlined. In the ecosystem of the Canadian western coastal waters, the dominant oceanographic feature is the coastal upwelling domain off the west coast of Vancouver Island, the northernmost extent of the California Current System in the eastern North Pacific. In the marine ecosystem of the eastern coasts of Korea (the Japan/East Sea), a major oceanographic feature is the Tsushima Warm Current, a branch of the Kuroshio Current in the western North Pacific. Fishes in the Canadian ecosystem are dominated by demersal, long-lived species such as flatfish, rockfish, sablefish, and halibut. During summer, migratory pelagic species such as Pacific hake, Pacific salmon, and recently Pacific sardine, move into this area to feed. In the late 1970s, Canada declared jurisdiction for 200 miles from their coastline, and major fisheries species in Canadian waters have been managed with a quota system. The overall fishing intensity off the west coast of Vancouver Island has been relatively moderate compared to Korean waters. Fishes in the ecosystem of the eastern Korean waters are dominated by short-lived pelagic and demersal fish. Historically, Korea has shared marine resources in this area with neighbouring countries, but stock assessments and quotas have only recently (since the late-1990s) been implemented for some major species. In the Korean ecosystem, fisheries can be described as intensive, and many stocks have been rated as overfished. The two ecosystems responded differently to climate impacts such as regime shifts under different exploitation histories. In the future, both countries will face the challenge of global warming and subsequent impacts on ecosystems, necessitating developing adaptive fisheries management plans. The challenges will be contrasting for the two countries: Canada will need to conserve fish populations, while Korea will need to focus on rebuilding depleted fish populations.