Investigation of Sardinella Sindensis (Day, 1878) Stock Status Using the Catch-Maximum Sustainable Yield Model in the Southern Waters of Iran (Persian Gulf and Oman Sea)

Among the various species of small pelagic fish, Sardinella sindensis (Day ,1878) has high economic and ecological importance and is one of the most important species exploited by fishermen. In recent years, the catch rate of this species has increased, and due to the limited data available on its stock in southern waters, it is not possible to use models based on the complementary data to assess its stock. In the present study, the catch-maximum sustainable yield (CMSY) model was used to determine the stock status of Sardinella sindensis in southern waters. Catch data related to the last 23 years (1997- 2019) were collected and entered into the model to calculate fisheries reference points. The value for B/BMSY by the model was estimated to be more than 1.0 and the value of F/FMSY was less than 1.0, which indicates the healthy stock status of this species in the southern waters of Iran. The maximum sustainable yield (MSY) was estimated to be  86,000 tons. In recent years, the catch rate has been exceeded this amount and has caused the stock to move gradually towards the overfishing zone. Based on the results, it is suggested to control and manage the fishing activities regionally (specially in Hormozgan province) by taking into account the fishery potentials, monitoring the exploitation status with regard to the environmental factors affecting the stocks of this species.