^■t; ACTUAL 



^K PREDICTED 



o 15- 



10- 



Figure 7. — Actual and predicted landings of Maine 

 lobsters, 1905-06. 1924, and 1928-70. 



0= -35.6436 i-0.08l4(E)-6.l072'<ia^(E^)+0.6363(°F) 



1905 24 



I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 

 1930 1940 1950 



I I I I I I I M 



I960 



1970 



recruitment) under six sets of combinations, we com- 

 puted the curves shown in Figure 8. Notice that the 

 ma.ximum yield per recruit for ail six functions occurs 

 between an instantaneous fishing mortality of 0.10 and 

 1.50. The observed F ranges from 0.7896 to 2.8986 

 with the latter figure probably closer to reality. Ac- 

 cording to Cushing (1968), it is wrong for fishermen to 

 exploit a stock at a point beyond or to the right of the 

 maximum yield per recruit. It is quite apparent that the 

 Maine lobster fishery is overfished, based upon 

 Thomas' work and Cushing's criterion. Thomas 

 further recommends that the legal minimum size 



should be raised to at least 89 mm (V/2 in.) carapace 

 length. 



E. The Overcapitalization of the Fishery. 



It is quite apparent that the Maine American lobster 

 resource is overcapitalized. Overcapitalization is de- 

 fined as a condition where the index of inputs of ves- 

 sels, fishermen, and technology into a fishery is 

 greater than that necessary to harvest maximum sus- 

 tainable yield, surplus yield, or maximum yield per 

 recruit. It is quite apparent that based upon both the 



q: 

 o 



UJ 



cc 

 cc 



LlI 



Figure 8. — Relation between yield 

 per recruit and instantaneous 

 fishing mortality under various 

 parametric assumptions for the in- 

 shore American lobster. 



INSTANTANEOUS FISHING MORTALITY 



17 



