Architectural principles of harvest control rules based on dynamic equilibrium analysis

Harvest control rules (HCRs) translate measures of fish stock status into management action. They are a staple tool in achieving performance objectives, like optimum yield, from fisheries. Despite recent improvements, we have lacked a fundamental understanding of how design details of HCRs translate into performance. This lack of understanding is especially problematic because of the multiple competing objectives that exist for fisheries, including income/profits, conservation, predictability of income and food supply, and sustainability. Using dynamic equilibrium analysis, this paper provides fundamental architectural principles. It demonstrates how to design HCRs to achieve common objectives, illustrates constraints on performance outcomes; and identifies trade-offs among objectives. In doing so, it provides critical insight into how to achieve various performance outcomes through the design of HCRs.