Variation in Eastern Little Tuna (Euthynnus affinis) catches related to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events in the Makassar Strait

• Published in: IOP conference series. Earth and environmental science 2023-12, Vol.1289 (1), p.12007
• Main Authors: Syamsuddin, M L, Puspita, A R, Syamsudin, F, Ihsan, Y N, Sunarto, Zainuddin, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chlorophyll; El Nino; Euthynnus affinis; Fishing; Fishing zones; La Nina; Monsoons; Ocean currents; Sea surface temperature; Seasonal variations; Southern Oscillation; Straits; Tuna
• ISSN: 1755-1307; 1755-1315
• DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/1289/1/012007

In order to determine how the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affects Eastern Little Tuna catch rates in the Makassar Strait (MS), satellite-derived oceanographic variables, including sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a, salinity, sea surface height (SSH), ocean current, Niño index 3.4, and Eastern Little Tuna ( Euthynnus affinis ) catch data were used. Analyses were conducted for a seven-year period (January 2015-December 2021), which included the El Niño (2015) and La Niña (2021) events. A higher CPUE value is obtained in 2021 when La Niña occurs with a CPUE value of 3973 kg/trip, compared to the El Niño event. Based on seasonal variations, the highest catch was recorded during the northwest monsoon (706.02 kg/trip) with 2789 fishing points, while the lowest occurred during the southeast monsoon (700 kg/trip) with 2942 fishing points. The CPUE was 16.25 kg/trip with 1133 fishing points during El Niño and 23.56 kg/trip with 1027 fishing points during La Niña, respectively. The fishing grounds area was wider during the La Niña period, at 2 - 8°S and 115 - 120°E. This study revealed a strong impact of the La Niña events, significantly increasing Eastern Little Tuna catch in the MS.