Assessment and management of flatfish stocks

• Main Authors: Cadrin, S.X., Clark, W.G., Ricard, D. (Daniel)
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: flatfish; stock assessment; fishery management; population dynamics; stock-recruitment relationships; stock status; North Atlantic; North East Atlantic; North West Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118501153.ch16; http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0251866

General population dynamics, stock assessment methods and management trends of flatfishes reflect those for other demersal fishery resources. A meta-analysis of stock-recruitment estimates shows a significantly positive relationship for most flatfish stocks but, for many of the analysed stocks, recruitment produced by relatively low spawning biomass was not much different than recruitment from greater stock sizes, providing evidence of compensatory production. A detailed review of flatfish stocks in the eastern Pacific, north-west Atlantic middle, and north-east Atlantic shows a range of stock statuses in all three regions, but flatfish stocks are generally more depleted in the north Atlantic than the eastern Pacific.