Fish populations with broad age distributions are expected to have higher reproductive capacity than age‐truncated populations because of the disproportionate contributions of older fish. Harvest slot limits, an expected means of ameliorating age truncation, are modeled for Tautog Tautoga onitis in an overfished population subunit that is experiencing overfishing. Tautog, currently managed with a 40‐cm minimum size limit (MSL), is a candidate species for slots because it is relatively long‐lived and slow‐growing, with low discard mortality. We evaluated changes in biomass and abundance at age relative to management with the current MSL regulations using a forward population simulation model for four slots: 35–45 cm (small–wide), 38–42 cm (small–narrow), 40–50 cm (large–wide), and 43–47 cm (large‐narrow), inclusive of lower and upper length limits. Angler behavioral responses were evaluated at 0, 10, and 20% noncompliance with the upper slot limit. The biomass and number of fish removed were reduced with harvest slot limit management relative to the MSL, but because the harvest was redirected to smaller fish the reduction in numbers removed was not as large as the reduction in biomass removed. Slot limits broadened the age structure within 10 years by reducing fishing mortality on extant fish. Median spawning stock biomass (SSB) recovered more quickly in three of the slots than with MSL regulation (3–6 years to reach SSB associated with a fishing mortality that yields 30% spawners per recruit as compared to 9 years with MSL management). We concluded that harvest slot limits can broaden age structure and restore biomass in overfished fisheries, but they should be evaluated when managing coastal fisheries as a reduction in biomass removed is required.

中文翻译：

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利用捕捞口限来促进海洋休闲渔业的种群恢复和扩大年龄结构：一个案例研究

由于年龄较大的鱼类的贡献不成比例，因此年龄分布较广的鱼类种群的繁殖能力预计将高于年龄截短的种群。收割时间限制是缓解年龄缩短的一种预期手段，是针对Tautog Tautoga肿瘤而建模的处于过度捕捞的过度捕捞种群亚基中。Tautog目前管理的最小大小限制（MSL）为40厘米，是狭槽的候选物种，因为它的寿命相对较长且生长缓慢，丢弃率较低。我们使用四个种群的前向种群模拟模型，评估了当前MSL法规相对于管理水平的生物量和丰度变化：35–45 cm（小至宽），38–42 cm（小至窄），40–50厘米（大宽）和43-47厘米（大窄），包括上下限。在0％，10％和20％不符合插槽上限的情况下评估钓鱼者的行为响应。相对于MSL，通过收获时段限制管理减少了生物量和去除的鱼的数量，但是由于将收获重定向到较小的鱼类，因此去除的数量减少不如去除的生物量那么大。狭缝限制通过降低现存鱼类的捕捞死亡率，在10年内扩大了年龄结构。中位产卵生物量（SSB）在三个位置比MSL法规恢复得更快（达到SSB的3-6年与捕捞死亡率相关，每位新兵产卵量为30％，而MSL管理为9年）。我们得出的结论是，捕捞限度可以扩大过度捕捞渔业的年龄结构并恢复生物量，但是在管理沿海渔业时应进行评估，因为需要减少去除的生物量。狭缝限制通过降低现存鱼类的捕捞死亡率，在10年内扩大了年龄结构。中位产卵生物量（SSB）在三个位置比MSL法规恢复得更快（达到SSB的3-6年与捕捞死亡率相关，每位新兵产卵量为30％，而MSL管理为9年）。我们得出的结论是，捕捞限度可以扩大过度捕捞渔业的年龄结构并恢复生物量，但是在管理沿海渔业时应进行评估，因为需要减少去除的生物量。狭缝限制通过降低现存鱼类的捕捞死亡率，在10年内扩大了年龄结构。中位产卵生物量（SSB）在三个位置比MSL法规恢复得更快（达到SSB的3-6年与捕捞死亡率相关，每位新兵产卵量为30％，而MSL管理为9年）。我们得出的结论是，捕捞限度可以扩大过度捕捞渔业的年龄结构并恢复生物量，但是在管理沿海渔业时应进行评估，因为需要减少去除的生物量。