Fish Population Dynamic and Stock Assessment

6.2.3. Merits and demerits of MSY

Merits

MSY has been especially influential in the management of renewable biological resources such as commercially important fish. Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is the largest average catch that can be captured from a stock under existing environmental conditions. MSY aims at a balance between too much and too little harvest to keep the population at some intermediate abundance with a maximum replacement rate.

Demerits

The main demerits are usually at MSY, the catch rate, mean size of fish, and biomass are too low, and sometimes the recruitment may become less regular as FMSY is approached. Because of this, there will be poorer recruitment than average recruitment year. This will have a significant impact on fishing industry. In such cases, if total allowable catch is practiced by a quota, there will be chances of heavy overfishing.

According to economists, the physical maximum yield does not make economic sense because the total catch increases very little with a greater increase in fishing effort near the maximum. There will be high cost in effort with relatively little increase in yield.