Status of Stocks: Report on the Status of U.S. Fisheries for 2011.

摘要

The information in this report was generated by the NMFS regional offices and science centers based on the most recent stock assessments as of December 31, 2011. Status determinations are generally made during a formal review using the best available scientific information from a scientific assessment and the status determination criteria specified in a fishery management plan. Stocks identified in this report are characterized under two broad categories: (1) subject to overfishing and (2) overfished. A stock that is subject to overfishing has a fishing mortality (harvest) rate above the level that provides for the maximum sustainable yield (i.e., rate of removals is too high). A stock that is overfished has a biomass level below a biological threshold specified in its fishery management plan (i.e., the population is too low). In 2011, NMFS managed 537 individual stocks and stock complexes within 45 federal fishery management plans nationwide. Determinations of both overfishing and overfished status could be made for 202 stocks and complexes. An additional 75 stocks or stock complexes have either a known overfishing determination or a known overfished determination. The number of stocks listed as subject to overfishing has decreased by 4 and overfished has decreased by 3, as compared to the 2010 report.