Incorporating demographic information into spawner–recruit analyses alters biological reference point estimates for a western Alaska salmon population

Changes over time in age, sex, and length-at-age of returning Pacific salmon have been widely observed, suggesting concurrent declines per capita reproductive output. Thus, assessment models assuming stationary output may inaccurately estimate biological reference points that inform harvest policies. We extended age-structured state-space spawner–recruit to accommodate demographic trends fishery selectivity investigate temporal changes using Kuskokwim River Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). illustrate observed likely reduced an additive manner, for example, including both age composition showed larger than incorporating only one trend. Translated into a yield-per-recruit algorithm, we found escapement needed maximum sustained catch has increased time, but the magnitude further depended on size-selective (i.e., increases based mesh gillnets). Compared traditional assessments, our approach acknowledges allows more complete use available data facilitates evaluating trade-offs among gear-specific