Maximum Sustainable Yield Estimates of Scomberomorus spp. from Balochistan, Pakistan

ABSTRACT Pakistani fisheries resources are influenced by habitat destruction, pollution and over-exploitation. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate fisheries resources prior to harvest. In this study, two specialized fishery software's viz. CEDA (catch and effort data analysis) and ASPIC (a stock production model incorporating covariates) are used to analyze the fishery output (FO) and fishery input (FI) data of Scomberomorus spp. to evaluate their fishery stock status in Pakistani marine waters from Balochistan coastline.Three surplus production models (SPMs) viz. Fox (F-M), Schaefer (S-M) and Pella-Tomlinson (PT-M) along with three error assumptions (EAs), log (L-EA), log normal (LN-EA) and gamma (G-EA), were used in CEDA while two SPMs, Fox (F-M) and logistic (L-M) were used in ASPIC. In CEDA, for initial proportion (IP) 0.9, F-M for L-EA and LN-EA estimated maximum sustainable yield (MSY) as 2593 t and 2282 t. However, G-EA produced minimization failure (MF). Estimated MSY for L-EA and LN-EA through S-M and PT-M were remained same viz. 3523 t and 4584 t, respectively. However, here G-EA assumption also showed MF. In ASPIC, for same IP, F-M and L-M estimated MSY as 2313 t and 5191 t. Overall, F-M results, in ASPIC, reveal highest goodness of fit R2 (0.937) values. The FO statistics reveal that this stocks is over-fished. Thus, it requires some proficient management and immediate steps to conserve this fishery resource for future generations.