South American pilchard

South American pilchard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Clupeidae
Subfamily: Incertae sedis
Genus: Sardinops
C. L. Hubbs, 1929
Species: S. sagax
Binomial name
Sardinops sagax
(Jenyns, 1842)

The South American pilchard (Sardinops sagax) is a sardine of the Family Clupeidae, the only member of the genus Sardinops. It is found in the Indo-Pacific oceans. Its length is up to 40 cm. It has other names, some of which more appropriately refer to subspecies, including blue pilchard, Australian pilchard (S. neopilchardus), blue-bait, Californian pilchard (S. caeruleus), Chilean sardine (S. sagax), Japanese pilchard (S. melanostictus), Pacific sardine, and Southern African pilchard (S. ocellatus).

South Australian sardine fishery

South Australian sardine fishery - Total catch (1990-2012)
South Australian sardine fishery - Total catch (1990-2012)

The South Australian sardine fishery targets Sardinops sagax and is the highest yielding single species fishery in Australia by volume. The fishery employs the technique of purse seining. Schools of sardines are encircled by a net up to 1 kilometre in length which is then drawn closed at the bottom. The catch is then pumped on board the fishing vessel where it is stored in refrigerated holds at below freezing temperatures. 94% of the catch is used as feed in Southern bluefin tuna ranching operations off Port Lincoln, South Australia. The remaining 6% of the catch serves human consumption, recreational fishing bait and premium pet food markets.[1]

The industry commenced in South Australia in 1991 with an annual catch quota of 1,000 tonnes. By 2014, the annual quota had increased to 38,000 tonnes.[2] The fishery's total landed catch peaked at 56,952 tonnes in the financial year 2004-05 stabilising at around 32,000 tonnes per annum thereafter.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sardines". South Australian Sardine Industry Association. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
  2. ↑ Neindorf, Brooke (2014-11-26). "Catch increase for South Australian sardine fishers". Rural (ABC). Retrieved 2015-04-26.
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