CFP Conservation & Sustainability 3

Question 1

Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) is best defined as:

Accepted Answer

The largest catch that can be taken from a stock indefinitely without causing population decline

Answer

MSY represents the theoretical maximum harvest that can be sustained over time without depleting the population's long-term reproductive capacity.

Question 2

Spawner-recruit models are used in fisheries management primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Describe the relationship between parent stock size and subsequent recruitment

Answer

Spawner-recruit models such as Beverton-Holt and Ricker quantify how many juveniles are produced per unit of spawning stock biomass, informing safe harvest levels.

Question 3

A stock is considered 'overfished' under US federal fisheries law when:

Accepted Answer

Biomass falls below the minimum stock size threshold (MSST)

Answer

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, a stock is overfished when its biomass falls below the MSST, typically set at one-half of the biomass at MSY (B_MSY).

Question 4

Slot limits in recreational fisheries management are primarily designed to:

Accepted Answer

Protect both juvenile fish and large, highly fecund adult spawners

Answer

Slot limits prohibit retention of fish below and above a specified size range, protecting small fish from overharvest and large fish that produce disproportionately more eggs.

Question 5

Which stock assessment method estimates fish abundance by marking a sample, releasing them, and later recapturing a second sample?

Accepted Answer

Mark-recapture (Petersen method)

Answer

The Petersen mark-recapture method uses the ratio of marked to unmarked fish in a recapture sample to estimate population size.

(CFP) Certified Fisheries Professional Practice Test

(CFP) Certified Fisheries Professional Practice Test

CFP Conservation & Sustainability 3