Management performance indicators based on year-class histories

The stock assessment data provided by ICES's Arctic Fisheries Working Group represents a unique source of insight into the interplay between environmental factors, stock dynamics, fisheries and management decisions. This paper explores how the life history of year-classes constituting the Northeast Arctic cod stock could be used as performance measures for fisheries management. Five biological indicators are suggested for management evaluation, together with time series of environmental variables (ocean temperature and salinity). A brief evaluation of the indicator values indicates successful management of the cod stock, where most of the indicators develop in a positive direction, reflecting a sound stock situation in line with expressed management objectives.