On the major interest to do all yellowfin stock assessment analysis in the Eastern Pacific since 1950, or before

Abstract

This paper examine the shifting base line syndrome faced by the yellowfin stock assessment done by the IATTC staff, as when its historical stock assessment were starting in 1934, all the present stock assessment start only in 1975. The paper concludes that future yellowfin stock assessment should be conducted starting since the beginning of the yellowfin fisheries, for instance in 1920. Such extended analysis should be based on an the results of ad hocdata mining program allowing to recover and to incorporate in the IATTC data base all these historical data. The assessment model should also be modified in order to fully use all these new data and the major changes in stock and fisheries (for instance in catchabilities, size selectivities and fishing zones). It is concluded that such extended analysis covering the early fishery should widely improve the modelling of present stock status and the validity of the estimated MSY.