A Two Discrete Stock Hypothesis for South African Sardine Resource

Abstract

The two discrete stock hypothesis for South African sardine has been extended. An improved fit to the data has been obtained. These results show that the hypothesis of two discrete stocks of sardine in South African waters can fit the observed data well. The implications of this are that the “western” stock increased from a reduced state earlier than the “eastern” stock, but that the “eastern” stock had previously been more heavily reduced than the “western” stock. The biomass of the both stocks are modelled to have decreased again, the “western” stock falling earlier than the “eastern” one.