Abstract
Maximum sustainable yield reference points (MSY-RPs) are usually calculated assuming spawner-recruitment relationships (SRR) and population dynamics of the stock. However, due to the difficulty of estimating SRR, the uncertainty in MSY-RPs is often too large to be put into practice. Therefore, based on the concept of maximum–minimum yield (MMY), fishing mortality (F) that gives %SPR (spawner biomass per recruitment [SPR] at a given F relative to SPR in the absence of fishing) of 30–50% (F30-50%SPR) is often used as a proxy of FMSY (F that maximizes the long-term catch). In this study, we estimated \({F}_{\%{\mathrm{SPR}}_{{\text{MMY}}}}\) (F expected to produce %SPR at MMY) for 30 stocks of Japanese fishery resources based on the life-history parameters of the stocks and steepness assumptions derived from meta-analysis. Our results showed that %SPRMMY ranged from 23% to 62% (excluding 86% of Scomberomorus niphonius), depending on the stock and the assumed steepness scenario. If the fish were caught under \({F}_{\%{\mathrm{SPR}}_{{\text{MMY}}}}\), at least 70% of the MSY could be expected in Japanese fishery resources. When compared with the %SPRMSY for the 15 stocks estimated through Japanese fishery stock assessment, %SPRMMY were similar, or often larger. %SPRMMY can be considered a precautionary value, reflecting the uncertainty of SRR.
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Notes
For some stocks, even though the SRR was estimated, the estimated h value was not shown in the stock assessment report and thus is not shown in this Table.
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We greatly thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editor for reading our manuscript and providing valuable insights and comments to improve the manuscript. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number: JP23K05362.
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Miyagawa, M., Ichinokawa, M. What stock-per recruit target can be applied to Japanese fisheries resources under large uncertainties in the stock-recruitment relationship?. Fish Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-024-01786-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-024-01786-x