NCDMF Glossary of Fisheries Terms



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F - See fishing mortality.

Fmax - The level of fishing mortality (rate of removal by fishing) that produces the greatest yield from the fishery.

FCMA - See Fishery Conservation and Management Act

FCZ - See fishery conservation zone.

FMC - See fishery management council.

FMP - See fishery management plan.

Fecundity - A measurement of the egg-producing ability of a fish. Fecundity may change with the age and size of the fish.

Fishery Conservation and Management Act - The federal law that created the regional councils and is the federal government’s basis for fisheries management in the EEZ. Also known as the Magnuson Act after a chief sponsor, Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington.

Fishery - All the activities involved in catching a species of fish or a group of species.

Fishery Conservation Zone (FCZ) - The area from the seaward limit of state waters out to 200 miles. The term is used less often now than the current term, exclusive economic zone.

Fishery Dependent Data - Data collected on a fish or fishery from sport fishermen, commercial fishermen, and seafood dealers.

Fishery Independent Data - Data collected on a fish by scientists who catch the fish themselves, rather than depending on fishermen and seafood dealers.

Fishery Management Council (FMC) - See council

Fishery Management Plan (FMP) - A plan to achieve specified management goals for a fishery. It includes data, analyses, and management measures for a fishery.

Fishing Effort - See effort.

Fishing Mortality (F) - A measurement of the rate of removal of fish from a population by fishing. Fishing mortality can be reported as either annual or instantaneous. Annual mortality is the percentage of fish dying in one year. Instantaneous is that percentage of fish dying at any one time. The acceptable rates of fishing mortality may vary from species to species.

Fork Length - The length of a fish as measured from the tip of its snout to the fork in the tail.

GLM - See general linear model.

GSI - See gonosomatic index.

General Linear Model (GLM) - A mathematical formula that relates one biological factor to another. Once a mathematical relationship is established, scientists use the formula to predict one factor over another.

Gonosomatic Index (GSI) - The ratio of the weight of a fish’s eggs or sperm to its body weight. This is used to determine the spawning time of a species of fish.

Groundfish - A species or group of fish that lives most of its life on or near the sea bottom.

Growth - Usually an individual fish’s increase in length or weight with time. Also may refer to the increase in numbers of fish in a population with time.

Growth Model - A mathematical formula that describes the increase in length or weight of an individual fish with time.

Growth Overfishing - When fishing pressure on smaller fish is too heavy to allow the fishery to produce its maximum poundage. Growth overfishing, by itself, does not affect the ability of a fish population to replace itself.

Harvest - The total number or poundage of fish caught and kept from an area over a period of time. Note that landings, catch, and harvest are different.

Head Boat - A fishing boat that takes recreational fishermen out for a fee per person. Different from a charter boat in that people on a head boat pay individual fees as opposed to renting the boat.

Histogram - A method of showing data in a graph. The data appears as bars running up and down (vertical) or sideways (horizontal).

ITQ - See individual transferable quota.

Incidental Catch - See bycatch.

Individual Transferable Quota - A form of limited entry that gives private property rights to fishermen by assigning a fixed share of the catch to each fisherman.

Industrial Fishery - A fishery for species not directly used for human food. An example is menhaden.

Instantaneous Mortality - See fishing mortality, natural mortality, and total mortality.

Intrinsic Rate of Increase (z) - The change in the amount of harvestable stock. It is estimated by recruitment increases plus growth minus natural mortality.

Isopleth - A method of showing data on a graph which is commonly used in determining yield-per-recruit.

Juvenile - A young fish or animal that has not reached sexual maturity.

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