The Influence of Maternal Age on Fishery Harvest Reference Points

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Maternal effects, defined here as the reduction of larval viability with reduced spawner age, have been proposed as a feature of marine populations that motivate the conservation of age and size structure, and have been observed in both Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Pacific rockfish (Sebastes spp.) stocks. The combination of maternal effects and populations composed of younger and smaller fish as a result of fishing pressure would be expected to produce eggs/larvae of reduced viability, thus reducing stock productivity. For fisheries stock assessment and management, a critical question is how the existence of maternal effects would influence the estimation of stock productivity and fishery management reference points.