Can estimates of genetic effective population size contribute to fisheries stock assessments?

Sustainable exploitation of fisheries populations is challenging to achieve when the size of the population prior to exploitation and the actual numbers removed over time and across fishing zones are not clearly known. Quantitative fisheries' modeling is able to address this problem, but accura...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fish biology 2016-12, Vol.89 (6), p.2505-2518
Main Authors: Ovenden, J. R., Leigh, G. M., Blower, D. C., Jones, A. T., Moore, A., Bustamante, C., Buckworth, R. C., Bennett, M. B., Dudgeon, C. L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absolute abundance
Animals
Conservation of Natural Resources - methods
Estimates
Fisheries
fishery-independent data
Fishes
Fishing zones
Genetics, Population
linkage disequilibrium
Models, Theoretical
Population
Population Density
Population Dynamics
sustainable exploitation
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Summary:Sustainable exploitation of fisheries populations is challenging to achieve when the size of the population prior to exploitation and the actual numbers removed over time and across fishing zones are not clearly known. Quantitative fisheries' modeling is able to address this problem, but accurate and reliable model outcomes depend on high quality input data. Much of this information is obtained through the operation of the fishery under consideration, but while this seems appropriate, biases may occur. For example, poorly quantified changes in fishing methods that increase catch rates can erroneously suggest that the overall population size is increasing. Hence, the incorporation of estimates of abundance derived from independent data sources is preferable. We review and evaluate a fisheries‐independent method of indexing population size; inferring adult abundance from estimates of the genetic effective size of a population (Ne). Recent studies of elasmobranch species have shown correspondence between Ne and ecologically determined estimates of the population size (N). Simulation studies have flagged the possibility that the range of Ne/N ratios across species may be more restricted than previously thought, and also show that declines in Ne track declines in the abundance of model fisheries species. These key developments bring this new technology closer to implementation in fisheries science, particularly for data‐poor fisheries or species of conservation interest.
ISSN:0022-1112
1095-8649
DOI:10.1111/jfb.13129