Monterrey sardine fishery is one of the most important in Northwest Mexico. Historically, the populations of this resource have been characterized by showing great fluctuations in their abundance, including collapsing in some regions of their geographical distribution.

Up to now, the causes of these fluctuations are little known, which makes management of this resource difficult. It is therefore imperative to study this species integrally and perform a bioeconomic analysis of this fishery with an ecosystemic approach

The project is carrying out this study through research on Monterrey sardine population dynamics (birth, death, growth, etc.) of the western coast of the Baja California peninsula, particularly Bahía Magdalena and Ensenada (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. Captures of Monterrey sardine observed in the western coast of the peninsula of Baja California, México.

We are performing a recruiting study that considers the relationships with environmental changes and the cost-benefit analysis of the sardine fleet as an element that conditions exploitation and abundance of the resource in time. By using mathematics as a tool, we will construct a model that considers biological and economic aspects.

The integral analysis of this information will allow fisheries authorities to:

1. know the health state of the populations ,
   
2. know the most probable seasons in which environmental conditions may negatively affect stability and growth of populations, and
   
3. know the impact in time of the different management strategies on biological and economical factors of the fishery system.

Integrating the results will permit to issue recommendations for developing an appropriate management plan for sardine fisheries in the northwestern region of the country.