Can harvest strategies be adapted over time? If so, how?

November 23, 2024

AuthorSara Pipernos
Program Associate, International Fisheries

Yes, most harvest strategies include review provisions to confirm adequate performance, and all elements of the harvest strategy can be updated if necessary. Adopted harvest strategies are typically re-evaluated every six to ten years. They can be modified if they perform differently than expected or if new knowledge requires a revision of the MSE. Similarly, although MSE and harvest strategies decrease the reliance on traditional stock assessments for informing management actions, benchmark assessments may still be conducted periodically to ensure that the harvest strategy is performing as expected.

In addition to the infrequent reviews, most harvest strategies include “exceptional circumstances protocols” that provide a more regular check for rare and unforeseen conditions the harvest strategy was not designed to handle (e.g., a necessary abundance index is discontinued, and new information about stock productivity). Depending on the significance of an identified exceptional circumstance, it might cause a deviation from the harvest strategy.