Estimate of intrinsic population increase rate for the blue shark in the North Pacific.

Abstract

The intrinsic rate of increase (r) is an important and crucial parameter in fish stock assessment especially using the production model. In this study, the r of the blue shark in the North Pacific Ocean was estimated using a demography approach. The input parameters, collected from 3 studies, include the growth coefficient, longevity, fecundity, age at maturity, reproduction cycle, and natural mortality. The results of demographic analysis indicated that the r of blue shark ranges from 0.270 to 0.356 with standard error from 0.038 to 0.103. The results derived from this study can be used as the prior of Bayesian surplus production model of blue shark in the North Pacific Ocean.