An Approach to Defining Stock Complexes for U.S. West Coast Groundfishes Using Vulnerabilities and Ecological Distributions

Abstract The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) requires active management of all stocks at risk of overfishing or otherwise in need of conservation and management. In the Pacific Fishery Management Council groundfish fishery management plan, about two-thirds of the more than 90 managed stocks are currently without traditional assessments to help define stock status in relation to management targets. Stock complexes are often employed for management purposes in such situations. The guidelines issued in response to the 2006 MSA amendments defined a complex as a group of stocks with similar geographic distributions, life histories, and vulnerabilities to fisheries. This work uses productivity–susceptibility analysis (PSA) to measure the vulnerabilities of 90 managed groundfish stocks, 64 of which are currently managed within stock complexes. These stock complexes are reevaluated by first using a partitioning cluster analysis to group the stocks by depth and latitude. Vulnerability reference points are then established based on the PSA results to determine vulnerability groups of low, medium, high, and major concern within each ecological group. This method is a simple and flexible approach to incorporating vulnerability measures into stock complex designations while providing information with which to prioritize stock- and complex-specific management. Received September 28, 2010; accepted February 23, 2011