Everything you always wanted to know about MSY and OY (but were afraid to ask)

The eight fishery management councils established by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 are mandated to manage U.S. marine fisheries resources occurring in the fishery conservation zone based on the concepts of maximum sustainable yield and optimum yield. Fulfilling the mandate requires a thorough understanding of these concepts. It is the purpose of this paper to present a non-technical discussion of maximum sustainable yield and optimum yield to facilitate understanding by the councils, which are composed largely of laypersons, so that they may carry out their duties under the Act. J.R. Zuboy and A.C. Jones. June 1980. Includes bibliographical references (pages 17-18).