Welcome back after a long hiatus. With due apologies for not keeping this forum as active as intended may I moot this topic for discussion at right earnest, which hopefully absolve me of a part of the blemish? Indian Oil Sardine, OS, has been one marine resource which has been moving and shaking the Indian scenario for sometime now. Whilst it leads the chunk of pelagic resources, it has one of the most perfected selective fisheries of India revolving around it. While estimated landings of this resource off Indian waters, spearheaded by southwest coast, have been declining at a double digit rate per annum since 2012, when they hit a collective peak, efforts are on at various levels to reach the route to its root cause as it has adversely affected a particular thriving fishery to such an extent that Kerala, a very vibrant marine fishing province has lost its preeminence in the hustings amongst Indian states.
Now the robust issue to be addressed to is whether OS, a small Clupeid with a fast rate of growth and preponderance of herbal feeding and relatively shorter lifespan, would be the zebra-fish for scientific management? I for one believe that adding the adjective 'scientific' to management in this context is blasphemous in itself. But still can this resource, which has historically shown significant spikes with heteroskedastic amplitudes, be amenable to a comprehensive scientific assessment and submissive to the predictions and managerial measures emerging thereof ? Hope this thread invokes bridled enthusiasm and unleashes an array of plausibilities in subsequent quips.
Now the robust issue to be addressed to is whether OS, a small Clupeid with a fast rate of growth and preponderance of herbal feeding and relatively shorter lifespan, would be the zebra-fish for scientific management? I for one believe that adding the adjective 'scientific' to management in this context is blasphemous in itself. But still can this resource, which has historically shown significant spikes with heteroskedastic amplitudes, be amenable to a comprehensive scientific assessment and submissive to the predictions and managerial measures emerging thereof ? Hope this thread invokes bridled enthusiasm and unleashes an array of plausibilities in subsequent quips.
Dear JJ,
ReplyDeleteThank you so mcuh for reactivating this blog.
"Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well-informed
just to be undecided about them"
-Peter LJ ( Peter principle fame)
The times we live our fisheries lives out is a testimony to Peter.
The topic is very relevant. It has both pragmatic and epistemological significance.
Heteroskedasticity of sardine and "scientific" correctness of being taken as a zebra fish for a management regime , as You have indicated,need not match.
If scientific connotes fisheries biology there could be very disturbing questions on the rationality of the current managment regime where the major component is minimum legal size (MLS).
As per the govt order the MLS for sardine is 10 cm. It is allegedly based on scientific recommendation. But the best scientific knowledge avaialable ( in terms of literature review) doesn't agree with 10cm.
I would like to know the opinion of fisheries biologists in this regard.
Ram