by

• Main Author: Michael C. S. Kingsley
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Greenland; Pandalus borealis
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.615.943; http://archive.nafo.int/open/sc/2006/scr06-072.pdf

Assessment of the West Greenland Stock of Pandalus borealis was performed using an assessment framework adopted by STACFIS and Scientific Council in 2002. The assessment framework incorporates a logistic stock-recruitment model, indices of biomass from trawl survey and from commercial-fishery CPUE, catch data from records, and a model of cod predation including available series of cod biomass. The model parameters are fitted by a Bayesian process. Results from the modelling were that the stock biomass has increased since the early 1990s and reached its highest level recorded in 2004, reflecting the course of CPUE and survey analyses. Biomass appears to be well above its maximum sustainable yield level (BMSY) and mortality by fishery and cod predation is well below the value that maximizes yield (ZMSY). The median estimate of the maximum annual production surplus (MSY), available equally to the fishery and cod was estimated by this model at about 160 000 tons. However, as the stock is estimated by the model to be well above its MSY level and therefore less than maximally productive, even catches less than this are predicted to be associated with decreasing stock biomass. Projections showed that catches of 140 000 tons/yr are not likely to drive the stock below BMSY in the short term.