STOCK ASSESSMENTOF SCOMBER JAPONISCUS FROM THE EAST CHINA SEA WITH VIRTUAL POPULATION ANALYSIS

Stock sizes of the chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus)from the East China Sea and the area off the mouth of Changjiang r iver were assessed with vir tual populat ion analysis .The r esult showed that stock sizes of chub mackerel fr om the East China Sea and the area off the mouth of Changjiang River were fluctuated between 132 000 -235 000 and between 41 000 -127 000 me tric tones respectively in the past decade .The stock sizes of chub mackerel in recent years were stable on the r elat ively high levels .However , since the actual catches are gradually close to the stock sizes , it seems tha t there is not very much potential for f urther exploitat ion of this species .