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Stock Status and Conservation Information
(From ISC23 Plenary Report)

Shortfin Mako Shark

Click here to see the ISC22 stock status and conservation information.

Stock Status

The reproductive capacity of the North Pacific SMA stock was calculated as spawning abundance (SA; i.e., number of mature female sharks) rather than spawning biomass, because the number of pups produced is not related to female size (i.e., larger female sharks do not produce more pups). Spawning potential ratio (SPR) was used to describe the impact of fishing on this stock. The SPR of this population is the ratio of SA per recruit under fishing to the SA per recruit under virgin (or unfished) conditions. Therefore, 1-SPR is the reduction in the SA per recruit due to fishing and can be used to describe the overall impact of fishing on a fish stock.

Based on these findings, the following information on the status of the NPO SMA stock is provided by the ISC23 Plenary:

  1. Target and limit reference points have not been established for pelagic sharks in the Pacific Ocean. Stock status is reported in relation to MSY-based reference points; and
  2. The results from the base case model and six sensitivity analyses that represent the most important sources of uncertainty in the assessment show that the NPO SMA stock is likely (>50%) not in an overfished condition and overfishing is likely (>50%) not occurring relative to MSY-based abundance and fishing intensity reference points.

Conservation Information

Stock projections of biomass and catch of NPO SMA from 2017 to 2026 were performed assuming three alternative constant fishing mortality scenarios: 1) FCURRENT (2013-2015), average of 2013- 2015 (F2013-2015); 2) F2013-2015 + 20%; and 3) F2013-2015 - 20%.

    Based on these future projections, the following conservation information for the NPO SMA stock is provided by the ISC23 Plenary:

  1. In scenarios where fishing mortality remains constant at F2013-2015 or is decreased by 20%, then spawner abundance (SA – the number of mature female sharks) is expected to increase gradually.
  2. If fishing mortality is increased by 20% relative to F2013-2015, then SA is expected to decrease in the final years of the projection; and
  3. It should be noted that, given the uncertainty in fishery data and key biological processes within the model, especially the stock recruitment relationship, the models’ ability to project into the future is highly uncertain.