Variation in geographic stock area, catchability, and natural mortality of ocean shrimp (Pandalus jordani): some new evidence for a trophic interaction with Pacific hake (Merluccius productus)

Abstract

Interannual variation in geographic stock area, catchability, and natural mortality of age 2 ocean shrimp (Pandalus jordani) was investigated for the years 1980–1990, using commercial catch and logbook data. Stock area changed gradually from 1980–1990, but showed wide variation, demonstrating that an assumption of constant catchability is not valid for ocean shrimp. Stock area was positively correlated with total catch, suggesting that stock area increases roughly in proportion to shrimp abundance. The time series of fishing effort and effort per unit stock area were quite different, showing that fishing effort probably gives incorrect information on time trends in ocean shrimp fishing mortality. Natural mortality rates varied widely over the study period also and were positively correlated with the abundance of age 2+ Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), a known shrimp predator. The best correlations were between natural mortality rates and the number of age 2–7 Pacific hake. Hake abundance indices that included only age 3+ fish were not significantly correlated with shrimp natural mortality rates, suggesting that if a trophic interaction exists between these two species, it may be influenced by hake recruitment events.