• Español
  • Français
Harvest Strategies logo
 
Menu
  • Home
  • Harvest Strategies
    • What are Harvest Strategies
    • Management Objectives
    • Reference Points
    • Harvest Control Rules
    • Glossary
  • MSE
    • Management Strategy Evaluation
    • Presenting MSE Results
      • Data Visualization Tools
      • Slide Templates
      • Shiny App
  • HS Around the World
    • Interactive Map of HS
    • FAO Global HS for Tuna
    • RFMO HS Web Page
    • RFMO HS Management Measures
    • RFMO HS Dialogue Groups
  • Resources
    • Factsheets
    • Videos & Animations
    • Webinars
    • Blogs
    • Multilingual Resources
    • Scientific Publications
    • News
    • FAQs

  • Français
  • Español

Harvest Control Rules

What are harvest control rules?

Harvest control rules (HCRs) are the operational component of a harvest strategy, essentially pre-agreed guidelines that determine how much fishing can take place, based on indicators of the targeted stock’s status. HCRs range from basic, constant catch strategies—under which catch levels do not change—to complicated, multistep rules that set allowable catch based on triggers.


Empirical vs. Model-Based Harvest Control Rules

Empirical HCRs: Indicators on which fishing opportunities are set come from one or more direct measures of stock status, such as:

  • An abundance survey
  • A catch per unit effort (CPUE) index: The amount of catch taken per unit of fishing effort, such as the number of fish per 1,000 hooks. Often used as a proxy for stock abundance.

Model-based HCRs: Indicators are based on models, such as:

  • An abundance level that is estimated by a stock assessment model

How a Harvest Control Rule Works

Stock status can be represented graphically by what is known as a Kobe plot. The example below shows a basic HCR. The fishery’s ideal state is green, its cautionary state is yellow, and the state to avoid is red. The HCR has the following specifications:

  1. If biomass is below BLimit, suspend the fishery and institute a scientific monitoring quota until the limit is reached or exceeded.
  2. If biomass is between the limit (BLimit) and the target (BTarget), reduce fishing mortality in accordance with the rebuilding phase of the HCR.
  3. If biomass is greater than or equal to the target (BTarget), fish at the target mortality rate (FTarget).

Ⓒ 2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts


FACTSHEET: Harvest Control Rules; Language Options: Español 🇪🇸 • Français 🇫🇷 • 日本 🇯🇵 • ไทย 🇹🇭 

Content provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts

@harveststrategies.bsky.social

7 Followers 23 Following 16 Posts

 
  • Get to this post

    @harveststrategies.bsky.social 10 hours

    Pacific bluefin tuna was once down to just 2% of its unfished level. Now, recovery is within reach and countries can secure it for the long term. Next month’s meeting in Japan could secure a long-term, science-based future. Read our latest blog to learn more! harveststrategies.org/blog/2025/06...
  • Get to this post

    @harveststrategies.bsky.social 4 days

    Join us for the next webinar!
    Ensuring Fair Winds: How Management Procedures Can Protect Seafood Markets
    📅 July 22 | 🕐 13:00 EDT | 2 hrs
    Discover why seafood companies are championing MPs and precautionary, science-based fishery management.
    us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
  • Get to this post

    @harveststrategies.bsky.social 5 days

    Making Headway & Headlines for the World’s Most Expensive Fish

    https://harveststrategies.org/fr/2025/06/18/making-headway-headlines-for-the-worlds-most-expensive-fish/

Recent blogs

Pbf Blog

June 18, 2025

Making Headway & Headlines for the World’s Most Expensive Fish

Read more

May 30, 2025

Guest Blog: Navigating a Changing Ocean – How Science is Helping Secure North Pacific Saury

Read more
Tai Msc Mvd Photo#1

May 13, 2025

Five-Continent Partnership to Advance Management Procedure Development for South Atlantic Albacore

Read more

Resources

Factsheets

Factsheets

Glossary

glossary

About Us

HarvestStrategies.org serves as a resource for fisheries scientists, managers, and other stakeholders, compiling information about how harvest strategies work and how implementing this pioneering management approach can lead to sustainable, profitable fisheries and successful recovery programs for many species around the world. The site is managed by The Ocean Foundation’s International Fisheries Conservation Project with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Common Oceans Tuna Fisheries Project, which is funded by GEF and implemented by FAO.

Explore

  • The Basics
  • Case Studies
  • HS Blog
  • MSE
  • Glossary
  • FAQs
  • News

Connect

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • The Ocean Foundation

Follow Us

  • Follow us on BlueSky
  • Subscribe to our Youtube channel
  • Visit our LinkedIn profile
  • © 2025 Harvest Strategies
  • Privacy Policy
Harvest Strategy Tracker
Status Description
This item has been adopted
This item is in development
This item is behind / stalled
This item has not been started yet
Sign Up For Our Webinars!

    This Can Be The Current Webinar