The Humboldt-El Niño scenario: coastal benthic resources and anthropogenic influences, with particular reference to the 1982/83 ENSO

The coastal waters of Peru and Chile are among the most productive of the world's oceans.A striking source of interannual variability in this upwelling ecosystem.El Niiio, results in large population and community variations.During El Niiio the seasonal upwelling ceases and warm, clear oceanic waters occur close inshore, setting a unique oceanographic scenario in which the' performance of populations and communities can be studied.While most attention has been focused on the pelagic components of such systems, numerous changes occur in inshore, benthic populations.Likewise, little attention has been paid to the critical role of humans as predators or active users of inshore, benthic resources.Humans as components of the ecosystem can impose significant alterations on population and community structure.In this paper the fishery statistics of three economically important inshore, benthic resources (the gastropod Concholepas concholepas, the cephalopod Octopus vulgaris and the kelp Lessonia nigrescens) are analysed in relation to the strong 1982/83 E/ Niiio event.In particular, trends are described for landings in the far northern regions of Chile, where the marked effect of E/ Niiio was concurrent with high levels of exploitation of C. concho/epas and L. nigrescens.Die kuswaters van Peru en Chili is van die produktiefste van die wereld se oseane.'n Treffende bron van veranderlikheid van jaar tot jaar in hierdie opwel-ekostelsel, El Nino, het groot bevolkings-en gemeenskapswisselinge tot gevolg.Gedurende E/ Niiio kom seisoensopwelling tot stilstand en warm, helder oseaniese water kom digby die kus voor, wat 'n unieke oseanografiese scenario opstel waarteen die optrede van bevolkings en gemeenskappe bestudeer kan word.Ofskoon die meeste aandag op die pelagiese komponente van sulke stelsels gerig is, vind talle veranderinge ook in aanlandige bodembevolkings plaas.Insgelyks is min aandag gewy aan die sleutelrol van mense as predatore of aktiewe verbruikers van aanlandige bentiese hulpbronne.Die mens as lid van die ekostelsel kan aansienlike veranderinge aan die bevolkings-en gemeenskapstruktuur teweegbring.In hierdie geskrif word die visserystatistieke van drie ekonomies belangrike aanlandige, bentiese hulpbronne (die buikpotige Concho/epas concho/epas, die koppotige Octopus vulgaris en die kelp Lessonia nigrescens) ontleed met betrekking