Maximum sustainable yield estimates of spiny lobster fishery in Pakistan using non-equilibrium CEDA package

Abstract

Maximum sustainable yield estimates of spiny lobster fishery were analyzed using catch effort data analysis (CEDA) computer programme. The major parameters of this package are: Maximum sustainable yield (MSY), catchability coefficient (q) carrying capacity (K), intrinsic growth rate (r), Replacement yield and Final population. CEDA has ability to assess the parameters of Fox, Schaefer and Pella-Tomlinson models. In addition it has an ability to estimate three error assumptions i.e. normal, log normal and gamma. In this study, the Maximum sustainable yield outputs of three models of Fox, Schaefer and Pella-Tomlinson are: 828 t, 970 t and 970 t respectively. The outputs of error assumption of normal and log normal are 983 t (R 2 = 0.57) and 950 t (R 2 = 0.53) in Schaefer and Pella-Tomlinson models respectively. MSY outputs of normal error assumption of Fox are 817 t (R 2 = 0.56). All the gamma error assumptions are (790 t) similar. The coefficient of variation (cv) of the estimated MSY was about 0.7 and the larger value (1.0) whereas lowest (0.5) were recorded. The Fox model output are more conservative hence the best fits and is close to the annual average landings of the spiny lobster fishery in Pakistan.