A simple method for estimating <scp>MSY</scp> from catch and resilience

TLDR

The Law of the Sea mandates that fish stocks be maintained at levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield, yet most stocks lack MSY estimates. The study aims to provide a simple method for estimating MSY from catch data and species resilience, and to offer management principles for data‑poor stocks based solely on catches and MSY. The method estimates MSY by applying catch data, species resilience, and assumptions about relative stock sizes at the start and end of the catch time series. The estimated MSY values closely match 146 benchmark estimates from full stock assessments, demonstrating excellent agreement.

Abstract

Abstract The Law of the Sea requires that fish stocks are maintained at levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield ( MSY ). However, for most fish stocks, no estimates of MSY are currently available. Here, we present a new method for estimating MSY from catch data, resilience of the respective species, and simple assumptions about relative stock sizes at the first and final year of the catch data time series. We compare our results with 146 MSY estimates derived from full stock assessments and find excellent agreement. We present principles for fisheries management of data‐poor stocks, based only on information about catches and MSY .