Researching and estimating the ecological characteristics of target fish species is crucial for fisheries resource management. The results of these estimates significantly influence stock assessments and management reference points such as size limit and closed seasons. Recently, ecological characteristics have been changing due to overfishing, climate change, and marine pollution, making continuous estimation and monitoring essential. This study analyzed the ecological changes in small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) resources in Korea over 24 years (2000-2023) using biological data (growth and gonad traits). By estimating the annual length-weight relationship and length at maturity (L50 and L95), we interpreted the numerical trends of early maturation due to resource depletion. The parameter b of the length-weight relationship, indicating the nutritional status of the resources, showed a slight increase over the years, suggesting relatively good nutritional status (b > 3.0) during most periods. Trend analysis between length at maturity and biomass indicated that as biomass decreased, maturity length also decreased.

The concern on the greenhouse gas emission is strongly increasing globally. In fishery industry section, the greenhouse gas emissions are an important issue according to The Paris Climate Change Accord in 2015. The Korean government has a plan to reduce the GHG emissions as 4.8% compared to the BAU in fisheries until 2020. Furthermore, the Korean government has also declared to achieve the carbon neutrality in 2050 at the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021. However, the investigation on the GHG emissions from Korean fisheries did not carry out extensively. Most studies on GHG emissions from Korean fishery have dealt with the GHG emissions by fishery classification so far. However, follow-up studies related to GHG emissions from fisheries need to evaluate the GHG emission level by species to prepare the adoption of environmental labels and declarations (ISO 14020). The purpose of this research is to investigate which degree of GHG emitted to produce the species (hairtail and small yellow croaker) from various fisheries. Here, we calculated the GHG emission to produce the species from the fisheries using the Life Cycle Assessment method. The system boundary and input parameters for each process level are defined for the LCA analysis. The fuel use coefficients of the fisheries for the species are also calculated according to the fuel type. The GHG emissions from sea activities by the fisheries will be dealt with. Furthermore, the GHG emissions for producing the unit weight species and annual production are calculated by fishery classification. The results will be helpful to understand the circumstances of GHG emissions from Korean fisheries.

본 연구에서는 외부형태적으로 매우 비슷한 참조기 (Larimichthys polyactis) 와 부세 (L. crocea)의 두 종 간 구분을 위해 계측형질 분석을 포함한 몇가지 기법들을 수행하였다. 총 48개의 계측형질 중 4개의 유의한 차이를 보이는 계측형질이 파악되었으며 (p<0.05) classical dimension에서는 유의한 차이를 보이는 계측형질은 없었다 (p>0.05). 오히려, 2가지의 truss dimension (Insertion of dorsal fin base - origin of pectoral fin base와 Origin of anal fin base - origin of pectoral fin base)와 2가지의 head part dimension (Most anterior extension of the head - above of eye와 Above of eye - posterior aspect of operculum)에서는 유의한 차이가 나타났다 (p<0.05). 하지만, 이러한 4가지 계측형질 중 head part dimension의 Above of eye - posterior aspect of operculum의 계측형질을 제외한 나머지 3가지 계측형질들에서 부세가 참조기에 비해 더 큰 수치를 나타내었다 (p<0.05). X-ray 분석 결과 curved vertebral column에서 부세는 45.1±2.34° 로 참조기의 38.4±1.82°에 비해 8.4% 더 큰 수치를 나타내었다 (p<0.05). 머리부위의 표피를 제거한 후의 유상돌기 는 두 종에 모두 존재하여 일반적으로 참조기에서만 유상 돌기가 존재한다고 알려진 바와는 달리, 유상돌기는 두 종을 구분하기 위한 형질로 볼 수 없었다. 본 연구 결과는 참조기와 부세에서 일부 외부 체형에 의해 명확히 구분 가능함을 시사한다.

The small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) is one of the representative high-class fish species in Korea. The catch of small yellow croaker in adjacent water fisheries has been continuously decreasing from 59,226 tons in 2011 to 19,271 tons in 2016. The small yellow croaker is caught by gillnet, stow net and bottom trawl, among which about 55~65% is caught by gillnet. For the sustainable use of small yellow croaker, the fishing power of small yellow croaker drift gillnet is very important. Therefore, the change of fishing power index were analyzed to identify the development of the vessel and gear technology that may have improved the fishing efficiency of the small yellow croaker drift gillnet fishery from 1960s to 2010s. Gross tonnage and horse power per fishing vessel was increased annually. The mesh size was 75.0 mm in the 1960s, but reduced to 60.6 mm in the 1980s and to 51.0 mm in the 2000s. In the 1960s, it was hauled out by manpower. However, the net hauler were modernized and supply rate was also increased since 1970. Due to the mechanization of the net hauler, the number (length) of used net gradually increased from 1.5 km in the 1960s to 7.5 km in the mid-1980s and to 15 km in 2010. Colour fish finders and positioning system were introduced and utilized from the mid-1980s. Surveys on the supply and upgrading of fishing equipment utilized visiting research. Therefore, the relative fishing power index in the small yellow croaker drift gillnet fishery increased from 1.0 in 1980 to 0.8 in 1970, to 1.1 in 1990, to 1.6 in 2000 and to 1.9 in 2010. The results are expected to contribute to reasonable fisheries stock management of the small yellow croaker drift gillnet fishery.

Yield-per-recruit (YPR) analysis is used to provide management guidance for the efficient use of a fish cohort. However, the individual fish price per unit weight of small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) or hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) increases dramatically by size in Korea. Therefore, age-based production value-per-recruit (PPR) analysis has recently been developed (Zhang et al., 2014). Since age determination requires a substantial amount of money and time and it is even impossible for some fish species, it is difficult to obtain age information to apply the age-based PPR model. Thus, we attempted to develop an alternative method, which uses length data rather than age information, called the length-based PPR analysis. The results revealed that length-based PPR analysis was much more conservative for stock management than the YPR analysis. Furthermore, the PPR analysis was more economically beneficial than the YPR analysis, which can prevent the fish stock from the economic overfishing. In conclusion, the length-based PPR analysis could be a proper approach for stock assessment in the case that the individual fish price per unit weight increases dramatically by size, and this analysis is useful to obtain vital management parameters under data-deficient situation when traditional stock assessment methods are not applicable.

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.

This study was performed to estimate optimum fishing mortality (F) and the age at first capture (tc) for small yellow croaker in Korean waters. We first estimated optimum F and tc using traditional yield-per-recruit (YPR) analysis, and the results were 0.8/year and 2.5 years old, respectively. However, the individual fish price per unit weight of small yellow croaker in Korea increases dramatically by size. Thus, we developed an alternative method, which is called as production value-per-recruit (PPR) analysis. We developed two types of the PPR analysis, that is, the discrete function and the continuous function method. We estimated optimum F and tc using the two types of the PPR analysis and compared the results. The optimum F and tc from the discrete function method, were 0.3/year and 5.0 years old, respectively, while those from the continuous function method were 0.5/year and 3.5 years old, respectively. These PPR estimates were much more conservative for the stock management than the traditional YPR analysis, which can prevent the fish stock from the economic overfishing. As a result, the PPR analysis could be more proper approach for stock assessment in the case that the individual fish price per unit weight increases dramatically by size like small yellow croaker in Korea.

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.

Estimations on population ecological parameters of the small yellow croaker, Larimichthy polyactis in Korean waters, were calculated using catch data based on coastal and offshore drift gillnet fishery and biological data from 2010 to 2012. The population ecological parameters included survival rate, instantaneous coefficient of natural and fishing mortality and age/length at first capture. The survival rate (S) of the small yellow croaker was estimated to be 0.20 from catch curve method. The instantaneous coefficient of natural mortality (M) was estimated to be 0.46/year with Alverson and Carney method. The instantaneous coefficient of total mortality (Z) was 1.611/year, used to be transformed the survival rate and the instantaneous coefficient of fishing mortality (F) were 1.153/year. The length at first capture (Lc) was 19.1cm by Pauly method, and the age at first capture (tc) was 1.303 years of the small yellow croaker by the coastal and offshore drift gillnet fishery.

For rebuilding and managing fish stocks and fisheries, the biological and socioeconomic evaluations on fisheries management regulations are important. This study aimed to estimate the economic effectiveness of different mesh sizes in the yellow croaker gillnet fishery. In particular, by comparing economic effects of mesh sizes, 50mm and 52mm, it aimed to provide the economic validity for increasing mesh sizes. Analytical results showed that the fishing revenue was higher in the vessels using a mesh size over 52mm than that in the vessels using a mesh size less than 50mm. In addition, the effect of fishing cost reduction was also larger in the vessels using a mesh size over 52mm than that in the vessels using a mesh size less than 50mm.

The population of small yellow croaker, Larimichthys polyactis, in the Yellow and East China Seas has decreased significantly since the mid 1970s. Several management measures have been introduced to conserve it, but population size remains low. To rebuild this population, it is now necessary to consider more effective management methods based on the stock assessment. To determine long-term population changes, fishery and biological data collected over 34 years (1969-2002) were analysed. Yearly fish length compositions were analysed for the time periods 1968 through 1970, 1978 through 1982, and 1993 through 2002; and catch data was available from 1969 to 2002. Annual population sizes were calculated based on length composition, the relationship between total length and body weight, and total landings. Analyses showed that since the 1970s, average size of harvested fish decreased; the proportion of less mature fish (smaller than the 50% maturity length, 19cm) in catches has increased and the estimated biomass has decreased significantly. Consequently, the main management recommendation is that juvenile fish need to be better protected to allow the rebuilding of resources to a more sustainable population level. This will require fish size limit, permissible mesh size, and closed area and season regulations.

지금까지의 한국 연근해산 참조기의 연령사정은 전부가 비늘에 의한 것이었다. 본 연구에서는 최초로 참조기의 이석을 연령형질로 사용하여 가장 적절한 연령사정 방법을 모색해 보았다. 참조기의 이석은 외관상으로는 윤문이 보이지 않으므로 얇게 절단하여 판독하는 방법(thin section method)이 적절하며, 성장 초점을 기준으로 가로, 세로, 대각선 세 방향으로 얇게 절단하여 윤문이 가장 선명하게 나타나는 방향을 알아본 결과 세로 방향으로 절단했을 경우가 윤문의 판독이 가장 용이하였다. 체장-체중 관계식과 성장식의 추정에서는 지금까지의 성장에 관한 연구에서는 고려되지 않았던 오차구조를 밝혀 매개변수의 추정에 정확성을 기하였다. 체장-체중 관계에서는 체장이 증가함에 따라 오차도 증가하는 곱의 오차구조를 가지며 관계식은 W=0.0049L3.2153으로 나타났다. 성장식에서는 오차가 연령이 증가함에 따라 일정한 합의 오차구조를 가지며 비선형 회귀분석에 의한 von Bertalanffy 성장식은 Lt=37.11(1-e-0.20(t+1.88))로 나타났다.