Fishery variability across distinct habitat groups in the Indian exclusive economic zone and its teleconnections to large-scale climate drivers
- 1Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences
Abstract
Climate variability affects marine fisheries by altering environmental conditions and influencing the dynamics of marine ecosystems. Understanding the catch variability of major commercial fish species and their large-scale climate drivers is critical for the sustainable management of resources. Therefore, the first part of the current study analyzed the variability and trends of multispecies fisheries from different habitats within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone using annual landings data from 1981 to 2019. All the fish species show a significant increasing trend except Stolephorus (insignificant increasing trend) and Sharks (significant declining trend). Sardine, the single largest contributor, exhibited the highest catch variability, characterized by distinct episodes of abundance and scarcity, and showed an out-of-phase relationship with anchovy variability. The unique pattern of variability observed in small pelagics, characterised by alternating periods of high abundance and decline, was not evident in large pelagics and demersals, which instead exhibited prominent interannual variability. The second part of the study cross-examined the role of large-scale climate oscillations in contributing to the catch variability, and the results revealed a distinct response to global climate drivers operating at different time scales and with varying strengths of association. Among the species, small pelagics show a strong association with climate oscillations, particularly the PDO and AMO, suggesting their potential predictability across different time scales. The study also highlights the teleconnections between climate drivers and regional fisheries by analyzing wind patterns over the Indian region in relation to fish landings. Small pelagic species, especially sardines and anchovies, display a distinct response to large-scale climate oscillations, as reflected in global SST patterns and their regional wind-driven connections. In contrast, large pelagics and demersal species show only weak or insignificant links with these broad climate variations. Therefore, the current study could provide insight into how different fish species are responding to large-scale climate oscillations, which will aid in formulating policies and ensuring the sustainable management of resources.
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BibTeX
@article{hamza2026fishery,
title = {{Fishery variability across distinct habitat groups in the Indian exclusive economic zone and its teleconnections to large-scale climate drivers}},
author = {Faseela Hamza and Vinu Valsala and Hamza Varikoden},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-61959-9},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61959-9},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Fishery variability across distinct habitat groups in the Indian exclusive economic zone and its teleconnections to large-scale climate drivers
AU - Faseela Hamza
AU - Vinu Valsala
AU - Hamza Varikoden
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-61959-9
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61959-9
AB - Climate variability affects marine fisheries by altering environmental conditions and influencing the dynamics of marine ecosystems. Understanding the catch variability of major commercial fish species and their large-scale climate drivers is critical for the sustainable management of resources. Therefore, the first part of the current study analyzed the variability and trends of multispecies fisheries from different habitats within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone using annual landings data from 1981 to 2019. All the fish species show a significant increasing trend except Stolephorus (insignificant increasing trend) and Sharks (significant declining trend). Sardine, the single largest contributor, exhibited the highest catch variability, characterized by distinct episodes of abundance and scarcity, and showed an out-of-phase relationship with anchovy variability. The unique pattern of variability observed in small pelagics, characterised by alternating periods of high abundance and decline, was not evident in large pelagics and demersals, which instead exhibited prominent interannual variability. The second part of the study cross-examined the role of large-scale climate oscillations in contributing to the catch variability, and the results revealed a distinct response to global climate drivers operating at different time scales and with varying strengths of association. Among the species, small pelagics show a strong association with climate oscillations, particularly the PDO and AMO, suggesting their potential predictability across different time scales. The study also highlights the teleconnections between climate drivers and regional fisheries by analyzing wind patterns over the Indian region in relation to fish landings. Small pelagic species, especially sardines and anchovies, display a distinct response to large-scale climate oscillations, as reflected in global SST patterns and their regional wind-driven connections. In contrast, large pelagics and demersal species show only weak or insignificant links with these broad climate variations. Therefore, the current study could provide insight into how different fish species are responding to large-scale climate oscillations, which will aid in formulating policies and ensuring the sustainable management of resources.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -