Step 8. Harvest Control Rules
During the stakeholder working group, scenarios were developed with stakeholders to describe possible harvest control rules to be taken if/when a performance indicator is found to be above (↑) or below (↓) the target reference points. Using the table below on an annual basis, managers can determine the interpretation/possible causes of that year’s suite of indicators and the recommended responses and management actions.
The specific harvest control adjustment that should be used in any scenario will depend on several factors including confidence in the data and trends, confidence in the interpretation of the fishery status, aversion to risk and uncertainty, and socioeconomic and political realities. Agreed upon management responses for the case study fishery are in the table below.
