• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.942-953
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• 2020

Achieving optimal sustainable yields (i.e., avoiding overfishing and maximizing fishery harvest at the same time) is one of the main objectives in fisheries management. Generally, management reference points (MRPs) such as fishing mortalities (Fmsy, F0.1, Fx%) have been suggested for the purpose. In this study, we intended to suggest MRPs for Korea chub mackerel Scomber japonicus stock, using a stochastic catch-at-age model (SCAA) and evaluate whether the current fishing intensity on the stock is appropriate. We used length frequency and catch-per-unit-effort data on the Korea chub mackerel stock collected from the large purse-seine fishery, and yields landed by all fisheries from years 2000 - 2019. We calculated yield per recruit and spawning potential ratio, and projected spawning stock biomass (SSB) under different fishing mortality, assuming annual recruitments were solely controlled by environmental effects (i.e., steepness of 1.0). Some of our major findings and suggestions were that the overfishing threshold would be F46%; i.e., the fishing mortality in the terminal year, 2019 was 0.257/year, which corresponded to F46%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.469-482
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• 2013

This study identified problems of the existing ecosystem-based fisheries assessment approach, and suggested new methods for scoring risk and for the estimation of fishery risk index. First, risk scores of zero to two for target and limit reference points for each indicator were replaced by those of zero to three, and the risk scores were calculated from new formulae which were developed in this study. Second, a new method for estimating fishery risk index (FRI) was developed in this study, considering the level of indicators. New method was applied to the Korean large purse seine fishery, large pair trawl fishery and drag net fishery. More precise and detailed risk scores were obtained from the new method, which can explain the risks by the wider range of both risk levels for 'better than target' and 'beyond limit'. The new method for estimating FRI could avoid the basic problem related with duplicated computations of fishery-level indicators, which improved the estimated FRI to be more accurate. Also, a method for estimating variance of FRI using the bootstrap was proposed in this study.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.64-73
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• 2021

We examined the growth and age structure for chub mackerel caught by a large purseseine in the Korean waters from January to December 2015. A total of 459 specimens were used for otolith analysis, ranging from 19.6 cm to 46.0 cm in fork length. Translucent zone was regarded as an annual mark, and age was counted using the information of the number of translucent zone, capture date, edge type of the otolith and nominal birthdate of 1 January. Annuli in otoliths were mainly formed in May, coinciding with the spawning season. Estimated ages were 0~6 years, and the von Bertalanffy growth models were not significantly different between male and female. Sex-combined growth model was obtained as FL_t=39.3×{1-exp[-0.90×(t+0.033)]}. Among the chub mackerel caught in 2015, the age 2 group had the highest proportion (30.9%), and the age 0 to 2 group accounted for 88.5% of the total catch.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.553-560
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• 2015

The feeding habits of the Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis were examined based on the stomach contents of 330 specimens caught by offshore large purse seine fishery in the southern sea of Korea, 2011. The size of Pacific bluefin tuna used in this study ranged from 34.1 to 67.3 cm in fork length (FL). The percentage of empty stomachs was 41.8%. The main prey items were Pisces and Cephalopoda based on percentage IRI (index of relative importance). The main fish preys were Trachurus japonicus, Bregmaceros japonicus, Engraulis japonicus, and Cephalopoda were Todarodes pacificus, Loligo edulis, Watasenia scintillans. T. orientalis showed ontogenetic change in diet composition. Although Pisces dominated the diet of all length classes the portion of Cephalopoda was relatively higher in size between 40 and 50 cm other than length classes. In terms of seasonal variation in feeding habits, Pisces was the main prey group in all seasons, but Cephalopoda was also frequently consumed during spring and autumn based on %IRI.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.12
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• 2018

Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) is one of the commercially important species in Korea as well as other countries of the North Pacific. Korean offshore large purse seine fisheries targeting small pelagic fishes such as chub mackerel have caught T. orientalis temporarily in the east of Jeju Island. The catch of T. orientalis in March through June occupied approximately 60% of the total. The monthly catch around Jeju Island from 2004 to 2013 showed a negative correlation (r = - 0.755, p < 0.01) with the seawater temperature at 50 m and had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.856, p < 0.01) with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index (PDOI). The highest catch and catch per unit effort (CPUE) of T. orientalis around Jeju Island occurred either when the seawater temperature ranged between 15 and $16^{\circ}C$ at 50 m or when the catch was taken near the frontal area where two water masses from offshore and coastal areas collide. The length of T. orientalis caught around Jeju Island from 2004 to 2013 ranged from 19 to 193 cm in fork length (FL). The time series of the monthly mean FL of T. orientalis had a negative correlation (r = - 0.592, p < 0.01) with the seawater temperature at 50 m and had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.668, p < 0.05) with PDOI.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.237-247
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• 2018

This study aims to estimate optimal harvests, fishing efforts, and stock levels of hairtail harvested by the large pair bottom trawl, the large otter trawl, the large purse seine, the offshore long line, and the offshore angling fisheries by using the surplus production models and the current value Hamiltonian method. Processes of this study are as follows. First of all, this study estimates the standardized fishing efforts regarding the harvesting of the hairtail by the above five fishing gears based on the general linear model developed by Gavaris. Secondly, this study estimates environmental carrying capacity (k), intrinsic growth rate (r), and catchability coefficient (q) by applying the Clarke Yoshimoto Pooley (CY&P) model among various surplus production models. Thirdly, this study estimates the optimal harvests, fishing efforts, and stock levels regarding the hairtail by the current value Hamiltonian method, including the average landing price, the average unit cost, and the social discount rate. Finally, this study attempts a sensitivity analysis to figure out changes in optimal harvests, fishing efforts, and stock levels due to changes in the average landing price and the average unit cost. As results induced by the current value Hamiltonian method, the optimal harvests, fishing efforts, and stock levels regarding the hairtail caught by several fishing gears were estimated as 33,133 tons, 901,080 horse power, and 79,877 tons, respectively. In addition, from the results of the sensitivity analysis, first of all, if the average landing price of the hairtail constantly increases, the optimal harvests of it increase at a decreasing rate, and then harvests finally slightly decrease as a result of decreases in stock levels. Secondly, if the average unit cost of fishing efforts continuously increases, the optimal fishing efforts decreases, but optimal stock levels increase. Optimal harvests start climbing and then decrease continuously due to increases in the average unit cost. In summary, this study suggests that the optimal harvests (33,133 tons) were larger than actual harvests (25,133 tons), but the optimal fishing efforts (901,080 horse power) were much less than estimated standardized fishing efforts (1,277,284 horse power), corresponding to the average of the recent three years (2014-2016). This result implies that the hairtail has been inefficiently harvested and recently overfished due to excessive fishing efforts. Efficient management and conservation policies on stock levels need to be urgently implemented. Some appropriate strategies would be to include the hairtail in the Korean TAC species or to extend the closed fishing season for this species.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.209-219
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• 2016

The survey was conducted to investigate biomass and distribution of fisheries resources using a quantitative echo sounder and a fixed gillnet around Marado coast of Jeju to obtain the scientific basic data for dispute resolution with a large purse seine fishery and coastal fishing and policy establishment of reasonable fisheries resources. Hydroacoustic surveys were conducted six times (November 28~29, 2015 (night), February 23~24, 2016 (night) and March 3~4, 2016 (night/day), March 30~31, 2016 (night/day)) using a quantitative echo sounder. The pelagic fish densities were relatively higher around Marado in November 2015, February 2016 and March 3~4, 2016. However, demersal fish densities were relatively higher in Jeju coastal waters on March 30~31, 2016. Catch data using fixed gill net were used to calculate biomass. Based on the hydroacoustic data, fish length-weight function and target strength information of dominant fish, the biomass of fishes were estimated as follow: 5.64 ton CV = 70.2% at night on November 28-29 2015, 7.14 ton CV = 35.8% of pelagic fish and 530.77 ton CV = 34.6% of demersal fishes at night on February 23-24 2016, 2.34 ton CV = 56.7% of pelagic fish and 571.93 ton CV = 40.3% of demersal fish at daytime, 1.39 ton CV = 48.4% of pelagic fish and 194.59 ton CV = 54.3% of demersal fish at night on March 3~4 2016, 0.37 ton CV = 72.9% of pelagic fish and 338.79 ton CV = 99.7% of demersal fish at daytime, 0.24 ton CV = 21.3% of pelagic fish and 68.61 ton CV = 53.8% of demersal fish at night on March 30~31 2016.