CFP Fisheries Management & Conservation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which stock assessment model assumes that a fish population's growth follows a logistic curve and that maximum sustainable yield occurs at half the carrying capacity?
- Beverton-Holt model
- Ricker model
- Schaefer surplus production model (Correct answer)
- Virtual Population Analysis
Correct answer: Schaefer surplus production model
The Schaefer surplus production model uses logistic population growth, predicting MSY at B = K/2.
Question 2: A fisheries manager notices that the spawning stock biomass has declined below the limit reference point. Which action is MOST appropriate under U.S. federal fisheries law?
- Increase harvest to maximize short-term yield
- Implement a rebuilding plan within 2 years (Correct answer)
- Close the fishery indefinitely
- Issue an emergency permit for scientific collections only
Correct answer: Implement a rebuilding plan within 2 years
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that a rebuilding plan be implemented within 2 years of a stock being declared overfished.
Question 3: What does the term 'effort creep' refer to in fisheries management?
- Gradual increase in fishing power that outpaces management measures (Correct answer)
- Slow decline in angler participation over time
- Seasonal migration of fish to deeper waters
- Incremental stocking of hatchery fish into wild systems
Correct answer: Gradual increase in fishing power that outpaces management measures
Effort creep occurs when improvements in technology and efficiency increase effective fishing power even when nominal effort stays constant.
Question 4: Which concept describes the minimum population size below which a species is at high risk of extinction due to demographic stochasticity and inbreeding depression?
- Maximum sustainable yield threshold
- Minimum viable population (MVP) (Correct answer)
- Carrying capacity floor
- Critical depensation point
Correct answer: Minimum viable population (MVP)
Minimum viable population (MVP) is the smallest isolated population that has a specified probability of surviving for a given time period.
Question 5: In the context of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM), what is a 'forage fish'?
- A top predator that structures the food web
- A small, schooling species that transfers energy from plankton to higher trophic levels (Correct answer)
- A benthic species targeted by bottom trawls
- A non-native species used in aquaculture
Correct answer: A small, schooling species that transfers energy from plankton to higher trophic levels
Forage fish such as anchovies, herring, and menhaden are small schooling species that are critical prey for larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.
Question 6: The 'ghost fishing' phenomenon is most directly associated with which gear type?
- Electrofishing boats
- Abandoned or lost gillnets and traps (Correct answer)
- Drift longlines with circle hooks
- Benthic trawls with turtle excluder devices
Correct answer: Abandoned or lost gillnets and traps
Ghost fishing refers to the continued unintended capture and killing of fish and other wildlife by lost or abandoned gillnets, traps, and other entangling gear.
Question 7: A 'total allowable catch' (TAC) set below the maximum sustainable yield is an example of which management approach?
- Precautionary approach (Correct answer)
- Maximum yield optimization
- Open access management
- Reactive adaptive management
Correct answer: Precautionary approach
Setting TAC below MSY embodies the precautionary approach, providing a buffer against uncertainty in stock assessment and environmental variability.
CFP Fisheries Management & Conservation 2
Which stock assessment model assumes that a fish population's growth follows a logistic curve and that maximum sustainable yield occurs at half the carrying capacity?