Oil sardine stock along the Kerala coast is likely to suffer a major setback during the coming years due to the El Niño factor, according to the state-run Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). India is the second-largest fish producer in the world after China and accounts for nearly 6% of global fish production. Scientists at the institute are of the view that El Nino is the major factor that causes decline in the oil sardine stock.

There has been a gradual decrease in the landings since 2012, owing to the development of El Niño,” EM Abdussamad, principal scientist at CMFRI said.

“What is more alarming now is that El Niño has struck again even before the resource recovered from biological stress like spawning failure in full scale which is likely to cause further troubles to the sardine stock in Kerala,” he said.

Full story at Financial Express