Changes in the state of highly abundant fish stocks as a response to the West Pacific pattern regime shifts

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Based on the dynamics of the mean winter index of the West Pacific teleconnection pattern over the last 50 years, two climatic regimes with the quite different habitat conditions of the most abundant fish populations in the Northwest Pacific were identified. The climatic, oceanological and biotic factors during the first (cold) period of 1963-1986 were favorable for frequent appearance of the strong year classes of the main walleye pollock stocks and Japanese sardine (only in 1972-1985), but the Asian salmon stocks during these years had a low abundance. The second, warm, regime (1987-2011) was characterised by the reverse tendencies in fish populations. In the winter of 2011-2012, the evidence for the beginning of a new cold climatic regime has appeared. The especially severe climatic conditions were observed during this winter in the western Bering Sea. As a result, the pink salmon approaches to the East Kamchatka coast in 2013 decreased by 80%, compared to 2011.