Semi-discrete biomass dynamic modeling: an improved approach for assessing fish stock responses to pulsed harvest events

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
By: , and 

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Abstract

Continuous harvest over an annual period is a common assumption of continuous biomass dynamics models (CBDMs); however, fish are frequently harvested in a discrete manner. We developed semidiscrete biomass dynamics models (SDBDMs) that allow discrete harvest events and evaluated differences between CBDMs and SDBDMs using an equilibrium yield analysis with varying levels of fishing mortality (F). Equilibrium fishery yields for CBDMs and SDBDMS were similar at low fishing mortalities and diverged as F approached and exceeded maximum sustained yield (FMSY). Discrete harvest resulted in lower equilibrium yields at high levels of Frelative to continuous harvest. The effect of applying harvest continuously when it was in fact discrete was evaluated by fitting CBDMs and SDBDMs to time series data generated from a hypothetical fish stock undergoing discrete harvest and evaluating parameter estimates bias. Violating the assumption of continuous harvest resulted in biased parameter estimates for CBDM while SDBDM parameter estimates were unbiased. Biased parameter estimates resulted in biased biological reference points derived from CBDMs. Semidiscrete BDMs outperformed continuous BDMs and should be used when harvest is discrete, when the time and magnitude of harvest are known, and when F is greater than FMSY.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Semi-discrete biomass dynamic modeling: an improved approach for assessing fish stock responses to pulsed harvest events
Series title Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
DOI 10.1139/f2012-084
Volume 69
Issue 10
Year Published 2012
Language English
Publisher NRC Research Press
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Leetown
Description 12 p.
First page 1710
Last page 1721
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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