Data_Sheet_1_Fishery Stock Assessments in the Min River Estuary and Its Adjacent Waters in Southern China Using the Length-Based Bayesian Estimation (LBB) Method.CSV

The Min River Estuary and its adjacent waters, connecting to the East China Sea, is one of the most important fishing grounds in Fujian Province, southern China; however, stock assessments have not yet been conducted. In the present study, the length-based Bayesian estimation method was applied for the first time to assess 20 single-species fishery stocks in the region. Catches of eight fish species from the Class Actinopterygii and 12 shrimp species from the Class Malacostraca were obtained from two commercial demersal trawlers, operated in the Min River Estuary and its adjacent waters, in February, May, August, and November of 2017 and 2018, covering all four seasons. The results showed that eight species were overexploited with an estimated B/BMSY (i.e., the current exploited biomass relative to the biomass producing the maximum sustainable yield) < 0.8 (range from 0.26 to 0.71). Three overexploited fish species (Gray’s grenadier anchovy Coilia grayii, the big head croaker Collichthys lucidus, and the Trevavas croaker Johnius trewavasae) are commercially important food species in the region. All four overexploited shrimp species (the shrimp Parapenaeopsis cultrirostris, the Japanese snapping shrimp Alpehus japonicus, and the Caridean shrimps Palaemon annandalei and Palaemon carinicouda) are small-sized and have low commercial value. The three-lined tongue sole Cynoglossus abbreviates, a commercially important species, was classified as fully exploited (0.8 ≤ B/BMSY ≤ 1.2). Osbeck’s grenadier anchovy Coilia mystus and the Japanese mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria, both commercially important food species in the region, had non-fully exploited statuses (B/BMSY > 1.2). The results revealed that some commercially important food fishes are overexploited in the region and that small-sized, non-commercial food species can also be overexploited. There is an urgent need for local and national fisheries authorities to focus on coastal fishery management.

闽江口（Min River Estuary）及其毗邻东海（East China Sea）的邻近海域，是中国南部福建省最重要的渔场之一，但目前尚未开展渔业资源评估（stock assessments）。本研究首次采用基于体长的贝叶斯评估方法（length-based Bayesian estimation method），对该区域的20个单种渔业种群（single-species fishery stocks）开展资源评估。研究于2017年2月、5月、8月、11月及2018年同期，依托两艘在闽江口及邻近海域作业的商业性底拖网渔船（commercial demersal trawlers），采集了辐鳍鱼纲（Actinopterygii）8种鱼类与软甲纲（Malacostraca）12种虾类的渔获数据，样本覆盖了全年四个季节。结果显示，8个物种的单位相对生物量（B/BMSY，即当前开发生物量相对于最大可持续产量生物量）低于0.8（区间为0.26~0.71），属于过度开发状态。其中3种具有区域重要商业食用价值的鱼类：葛氏长颌鲚（Gray’s grenadier anchovy *Coilia grayii*）、棘头梅童鱼（big head croaker *Collichthys lucidus*）与特里瓦弗斯叫姑鱼（Trevavas croaker *Johnius trewavasae*）均已过度开发。4种经济价值较低的小型虾类：刀形拟对虾（the shrimp *Parapenaeopsis cultrirostris*）、日本鼓虾（Japanese snapping shrimp *Alpehus japonicus*）、安氏长臂虾（Caridean shrimp *Palaemon annandalei*）与脊腹长臂虾（*Palaemon carinicouda*）同样属于过度开发物种。具有区域重要商业价值的三线舌鳎（three-lined tongue sole *Cynoglossus abbreviates*）被归类为充分开发状态（0.8 ≤ B/BMSY ≤1.2）。凤鲚（Osbeck’s grenadier anchovy *Coilia mystus*）与日本口虾蛄（Japanese mantis shrimp *Oratosquilla oratoria*）这两种区域重要商业食用物种，其单位相对生物量均高于1.2，属于开发不足状态。本研究结果表明，该区域部分具有商业食用价值的鱼类已遭过度开发，小型非商业食用物种同样存在过度开发问题。当地及国家渔业管理部门亟需重视沿海渔业管理工作。