Report of the National Workshop on the Concept of Optimum Yield in Fisheries Management

This is Part I of a report and summary of the National Workshop on the Concept of Optimum Yield in Fisheries Management, held in Houston, Texas, June 6-10, 1977, and co-sponsored by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Regional Fishery Management Councils. The workshop is divided into two sessions: a technical session on June 6 and 7, and a Council session on June 9 and 10. This report deals with the major points and issues which arose in the presentations and discussions in both of these workshop sessions. Part I of this report is organized into several sections: A general introduction, the abstracts of the presentations made in the technical session, summaries of the panel discussion held by members of the Scientific and Statistical Committees of the Regional Councils, and a list of questions and issues involving the concept of optimum yield which were abstracted from the workshop discussions. Part II of the report will contain complete records of the presentations made by the discussion leaders during the Council session, Donald McKernan's summary, an edited test of certain of the questions which arose in that session and their responses, and more complete texts of the presentations of the technical sessions. These items are the more time consuming tasks in summarizing the workshop and will appear later under separate cover. Parts I and II together will present a complete record of the entire workshop.