Stock assessment of short-life-cycle Acetes chinensis fishery with limited data in Bohai Bay: a primary target crustaceans species along Pacific Northwest

Acetes chinensis is a keystone crustacean species found in the coastal areas of the Northwest Pacific and holds significant ecological and economic value in the seas of China, Japan, and South Korea. It is a primary target species for both small-scale and industrial fisheries in these countries, contributing approximately 20% catch sizes of marine shrimp in China, with nearly 40% of that yield coming from Bohai Sea alone. In recent decades, the dynamics of A. chinensis resources have been impacted by multiple stressors, including fishing pressure, habitat alteration, and environmental changes. This situation highlights the urgent need for scientific stock assessments to support sustainable management practices. Length-based stock assessment models (LBB, LBSPR, LBI, and YPR) were utilized to analyze the population characteristics, stock status and exploitation patterns of A. chinensis captured in Bohai Sea in this research. The results indicated that the A. chinensis population remains healthy and is not overexploited, with a spawning potential ratio (SPR) maintained at around 0.4 and relative biomass (B/BMSY) greater than 1 during the period from 2021 to 2024. However, there are regional variations in size structure of A. chinensis. This study emphasizes the necessity for region-specific management strategies that integrate spatial distribution data, population biology, and adaptive fishing regulations to ensure the long-term sustainability of A. chinensis resources in China.