Status of 54 Fishery Resources Exploited by the Gujarat Fleet in the Northeastern Arabian Sea Using the Monte Carlo Catch-MSY (CMSY) Method

Vase, Vinaya Kumar and Jayasankar, J and Koya, Mohammed and Kumar, Rajan and Rahangdale, Shikha and Rohit, Prathibha (2025) Status of 54 Fishery Resources Exploited by the Gujarat Fleet in the Northeastern Arabian Sea Using the Monte Carlo Catch-MSY (CMSY) Method. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 41. ISSN 2366-1674

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Abstract

The maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and status of 54 fishery resources exploited by the Gujarat fishing fleet in the northeastern Arabian Sea were assessed using the data-limited CMSY method. The prioritized fishery resources in this study make a significant contribution to the total marine catch in the region and play a vital role in trophic interactions. The Gujarat marine fisheries recorded an annual percentage growth rate of 5.04 per year from 1985 to 2018. The MSY was computed at 8.73 × 105 t across all resources. The biomass indicators (B/BMSY) indicated alarming overexploitation for commercially exploited resources like Bregmaceros mcclellandi, Tenualosa ilisha, Coilia dussumieri, Euthynnus affinis, Thunnus tonggol, Scomberoides spp., Psettodes erumei, Pampus argenteus, etc. Stock assessment using biological reference points (B/BMSY, F/FMSY) classified 39 resources were found either healthy or slightly overfished (B/BMSY>0.8), while 13 showed varying degrees of overexploitation, including 2 severely depleted species (unicorn cod, silverbellies). The rampant increase of fishing efforts and target exploitation can cause the collapse or overfishing of resources, which eventually affects the integrity of the ecosystem. The fishery and biomass indicators computed in the current study suggest periodic monitoring of overexploited stocks and a framework of rebuilding strategies for grossly overfished and overfished resources.

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