Search

Hoque, M.; Ramteke, K.; Nakhawa, A.D.; Abidi, Z.J., and Naidu, B.C., 2024. Vulnerability assessment of commercially essential fish stocks in the data-poor northwest coast of India. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(6), 1068–1079. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. A semiquantitative risk assessment tool, such as the productivity susceptibility analysis (PSA), is widely used to evaluate the relative vulnerability of species to overfishing or other fishing activities. This tool is particularly valuable in data-poor regions for prioritizing conservation and research management efforts among different species. In the present study, PSA evaluated the vulnerability of 70 commercially essential finfish species, including 35 pelagic species and 35 demersal species. For the demersal species, the vulnerability score varied from 0.9 to 2. The spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) was identified as the most vulnerable species among selected demersal species, with a vulnerability score of 2, whereas the black pomfret (Parastromateus niger) exhibited the lowest vulnerability, with a score of 0.9. Among the demersal species, four species (11.42%) were classified as having moderate vulnerability, with scores ranging from 1.8 to 1.9, whereas 30 species (85.71%) were classified as having low vulnerability, with scores ranging from 0.9 to 1.7. The vulnerability scores of the 35 pelagic fishes ranged from 0.9 to 1.9. The lowest vulnerability score, 0.9, was observed in the Indian oil sardine Sardinella longiceps and commerson's anchovy Stolephorus commersoni; the great barracuda Spyraena barracuda showed the highest vulnerability score, 1.9, among 35 pelagic fishes from the NW coast of India. Most of the overall data quality (DQ) were selected from moderate DQ from the present study. The susceptibility DQ for most species is low; this suggests that data collection on certain species' life-history features should be improved. Vulnerability evaluation is useful in identifying species that face extinction or overexploitation. The results of this study will help in planning fisheries management programs and creating conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]