Yield per recruit model is the most popular method for fisheries stock assessment. However, stock assessment using yield per recruit model can lead to recruitment overfishing as this model only considers the maximum yield per recruit without spawning biomass for reproduction. For this reason, spawning biomass per recruit model which reveals variations of spawning stock biomass per fishing mortality (F) and age at first capture (tc) is considered as more proper method for stock assessment. There are mainly two methods for spawning biomass per recruit model known as age specific selectivity method and knife– edged selectivity method. In the knife–edged selectivity method, the spawning biomass per recruit has been often calculated using biomass per recruit value by multiplying the maturity ratio of the recruited age. But the maturity ratio in the previous method was not considered properly in previous studies. Therefore, a new method of the knife–edged selectivity model was suggested in this study using a weighted average of the maturity ratio for ages from the first capture to the lifespan. The optimum fishing mortality in terms of F35% which was obtained from the new method was compared to the old method for small yellow croaker stock in Korea. The value of F35% using the new knife–edged selectivity model was 0.302/year and the value using the old model was 0.349/year. However, the value of F35% using the age specific selectivity model was estimated as 0.320/year which was closer to the value from the new knife–edged selectivity model.

Small yellow croaker is one of the important stocks in Korean waters. In this study, we conducted sea trials to estimate optimum height of a drift gill net for effective fishing of small yellow croaker. In the trial using existing net which has 9.2m in height, there was 22 species (1,180 fishes, 99.9kg) caught. The catch (in individuals) of small yellow croaker, especially larger fishes (over 22cm in FL), was higher as part of net height is higher, while the number of species bycaught and the catch of those species were higher as part of net height is lower. In the trial using extension net which has 18.4m in height, there was 27 species (2,030 fishes, 151.7kg). It showed same pattern with existing net in the section I to III, however, in the section IV which is over 13.8m of net height, the catch sharply decreased. The number of species bycaught and the catch of those species using extension net were also same as results using existing net. It showed that section III (9.2－13.8m) where is upper-middle part of the net has caught most of catch and large fishes having over 22cm in length. Through these results, it is judged that the setting depth of the net where is 4.6－13.8m above the sea bottom is the best to reduce bycatch and catch much more large size fishes, and the catch per net is proportional to filtering area of net. Therefore the Fisheries Resource Management Act (the clause 1, article 10) on the amount of usage for offshore drift gill net need to be considered not only length of a net but also net height.

As a series of studies about improvement of yellow croaker drift gill net fishing gear and development of the labor saving fishing system, this study analyzed the behavior characteristics of fishing gear, which does use three types of different sinker materials in the field tests. The result of maritime performance test indicated that the fishing gear which used the lead reached the maximum depth and bio ceramics hauled to the surface of water the fastest. The correlation between the sinking time (St) and depth (Dsl, Dsc, Dsb) of maritime performance test can be shown such experimental equations as Dsl=2.70St - 0.75, Dsc = 2.38St - 1.15, Dsb = 1.77St - 4.00. The correlation between the hauling time (Ht) and depth (Dhl, Dhc, Dhb) of maritime performance test can be shown such experimental equations as and Dhl = 7.88Ht + 35.48, Dhc = 7.80Ht + 40.01, Dhb = 7.95Ht + 36.44.

As the basic study about improvement of yellow croaker drift gill net fishing implement and development of the fishing system, this study drew problem after synthetically analyzing hauling system of yellow croaker drift gill net used in the coast of Chuja Island and tested several characters and analyzed in hauling process with 5 step net hauler model for improving the problem. The analysis results are as follows. When the angle between axises of drum centers was small, it showed the tendency that hauling time was fast. Hauling time was faster when drum was 5 step rather than 3 step. When drum was 5 step, slippery phenomenon was small and hauling was stable. Tension was larger when drum was 5 step rather than 3 step. When drum was 5 step, the range of change of the maximum and minimum value was small and hauling was stable. When drum was 3 step, there was following formula between hauling time (Ht3) and angle between axises of drum centers (Ag) Ht3 : (7.15Hs-0.81) Ag-0.81, when drum was 5 step there was following formula.Ht5 : (6.45Hs-0.75) Ag0.10, here, Hs is hauling speed. When drum was 3 step and hauling speed was 28cm/sec, tension was T=0.08A83-1.60Ag3-0.49Ag+369.56(r=0.99), when drum was 5 step, tension was, T=-0.01Ag3+1.96Ag2-34.05Ag+414.58 (r-0.99), here, T was tension(g).