Pilchards Being Pilfered

Scientists estimate that Pilchard numbers off the coast of Namibia have declined to less than 1% of their former biomass. What this means for the fishing industry, and other marine wildlife that depend on pilchards for their survival, is what was discussed in this episode of the MYD Earth Show.

“Pilchards are small oily fish that are a member of the Herring family. They used to be very common off Namibia’s coast. Historically in the early 60’s their used to be between five and twelve million tons of Pilchards off our coast…. They are a very important part of our fisheries, and an even more important part of the marine ecosystem. Much of the marine ecosystem depends on Pilchards for their food.”

Explaining why this is a critical situation, for this episode of the MYD Earth Show, we were joined in studio by the CEO of the Namibia Chamber of Environment, Dr. Chris Brown.

In this MYD Earth podcast we find out:

•  Why the Pilchard (Sardine) is one of Namibia’s most threatened species
• What affect the decline in Pilchard numbers has on other important fish species and marine wildlife
• The risks we face by continuing to issue quotas for pilchard fishing with such low numbers of the species
• What the recommendations are from the Namibia Chamber of Environment regarding Pilchards

Take a listen to the MYD Earth Show with Dr. Chris Brown, here :

https://soundcloud.com/99fm/myd-earth-pilchards-being-pilfered