Abstract

DIAZ-URIBE, J Gabriel et al. Harvest status and fishery management perspectives for the striped marlin (Kajikia audax) in the Mexican Pacific Ocean. Cienc. mar [online]. 2023, vol.49, e3362.  Epub Dec 08, 2023. ISSN 0185-3880.  https://doi.org/10.7773/cm.y2023.3362.

Stock assessment of the striped marlin from the Mexican Pacific coast was done with historical (1963-2014) catch and effort data provided by commercial and recreational fleets, including bycatch data. Eight fishery-independent indices of relative abundance were used to fit a biomass dynamic model by maximum likelihood. For the most recent period (2015-2019), stock status was evaluated through simulations with the fitted model and available catch-per-unit-effort data of the recreational fleets as reference framework. Results indicated that up until 2014, striped marlin abundance showed 3 different trends. The first one was a decreasing trend from 1964 to 1977, where the catch and effort of commercial fleets exceeded the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and the level of effort to reach MSY, respectively. The second one occurred from 1977 to 1990, and it was a stable trend with low abundance, less than the abundance when MSY is reached; this change was related to the reduction of commercial effort, although catches greater than the MSY were observed. The third one occurred from 1990 to 2014, and it showed increasing abundance due to the cessation of commercial fleets. This increase, however, has become slower because of the development of the recreational fishery and the increased bycatch. After 2014, the indicator estimated with the data from the recreational fleets suggested a shift in abundance; according to simulations, the fishing mortality was insufficient to explain this change. It is hypothesized that the natural mortality of striped marlin has been high since the mid-2010s. Conditions that could influence this situation and their implications on fishery management are discussed.

Keywords : striped marlin; Kajikia audax; dynamic biomass model; multiple indicators.

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