Impact Factor: 1.7
5-Year Impact Factor: 1.5
CiteScore: 3.1
5-Year Impact Factor: 1.5
CiteScore: 3.1
UN SDG
Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
2026, Vol 26, Num, 12 (Pages: TRJFAS27590)
Status and Fishery Reference Points of the Stock of Pacific Hake, Merluccius productus in the Gulf of California, Mexico
2 Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas-IPN. Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional S/N, Playa Palo de Sta. Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, B.C.S. México
3 Instituto Mexicano de Investigación en Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentable, Centro Regional de Investigación Acuícola y Pesquera-Guaymas, Calle 20 sur No. 605 Sur, C.P. 85400, Guaymas, Sonora, México.
4 Instituto Mexicano de Investigación en Pesca y Acuacultura Sustentable, Centro Regional de Investigación Acuícola y Pesquera-Ensenada, Km 97.5 Carretera Tijuana Ensenada s/n. C.P. 22760. El Sauzal de Rodríguez, Baja California, México. DOI : 10.4194/TRJFAS27590 Viewed : 362 - Downloaded : 575 One of the primary objectives of fisheries management is the rational assessment and exploitation of fishery resources through the establishment of biological reference points and limits on fishing pressure. In the Gulf of California, the Pacific hake fishery is relatively recent, having developed formally since 2018, and biological information required for stock assessment remains limited. To evaluate the status of the Pacific hake fishery and estimate biological reference points for sustainable management, the CMSY ++ approach was applied. This method integrates two models: The Catch-MSY (CMSY) model, which uses catch data and the Bayesian state-space Schaefer surplus production model (BSM), which incorporates both catch and abundance data. Results showed an exponential increase in annual catches, consistent with estimated stock biomass values ranging from 19,600 t to 82,500 t. Estimates of the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) ranged from 8,310 t to 17,200 t. The derived reference points indicated that F/FMSY > 1, whereas B/BMSY remained close to 1, suggesting that fishing pressure may exceed the optimal level while stock biomass is still near the target reference point. These findings underscore the need for precautionary management and continued monitoring of fishing effort to prevent future declines in biomass that could compromise reproductive capacity and recruitment. Keywords : Gulf of California Biological reference points Stock status Pacific hake CMSy++
