American
Fisheries Society
Computer User Section
Software Description
Fishery
Analysis and Simulation
Tool (FAST) 2.0
|
American
Fisheries Society Software Description |
Fishery
Analysis and Simulation |
What is FAST and what can the program do?
The Fishery Analyses and Simulation Tools (FAST) software package is now available for distribution. The purpose for the development of this software was to provide fishery biologists and managers a simple Windows-based computer program to simulate and evaluate the dynamics of exploited fish populations. The program provides for the evaluation of proposed minimum, slot, and inverted length limits and bag limits on very low to heavily exploited fisheries. FAST can provide applications for recreational and commercial fisheries in freshwater and marine environments.
The foundation of fish population dynamics was derived primarily for marine stock assessment, although applications for exploited freshwater fish populations can be found. We have broadened the scope of these previous approaches to include recreational aspects of fisheries where harvest is not a mutually exclusive or primary goal of management. During the past 10 to 15 years, protective slot length limits, high minimum length limits, and reduced or alternating bag limits for different sizes of fish have become widely used management tools in freshwater and more recently in some marine fisheries where fish consumption is not a priority.
The background material presented in the user’s manual was adapted from the course materials of Mike Maceina’s graduate class in fish population dynamics at Auburn University and from other short courses on this subject. We have attempted to cover just the basic information needed for a student or professional to get started in modeling fish populations. In the user’s manual, background information on growth, mortality, recruitment, and modeling are presented.
FAST requires age-structure data and uses the Jones modification of the Beverton-Holt equilibrium yield equation (see Ricker 1975) to compute both a yield-per-recruit and a dynamic pool model. For the dynamic pool model, the entire population is simulated over time similar to Ricker’s (1975) dynamic pool model. Besides yield, FAST provides the analyst with a host of predicted population parameters including for example the number of fish harvested and dying naturally, mean weight and length of harvested fish, number in the population above and below some lengths of interest, total number of fish and biomass in the population, stock density indices, number of age-1 fish, and the Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR). The SPR is an index that is primarily used in marine fisheries management to assess recruitment overfishing.
Input parameters to run the model include coefficients of the von Bertalanffy and weight:length equations, and estimates of fishing and natural mortality. Recruitment can be held constant, or the effects of systematic or stochastic variation in recruitment can be examined. Natural mortality and fishing mortality rates can be held constant or can be varied over the life time of a fish cohort. To compute the SPR, a fecundity-to-length relation, age of maturity, percentage of females, and the percentage of females spawning annually are needed. With age, length, and weight data, FAST provides the analyst with tools to compute von Bertalanffy growth equations, weight:length equations, total mortality using unweighted and weighted catch-curves regressions, and stock density indicies (PSD; RSD’s) and relative weights for fish listed in Anderson and Neumann (1996; Fisheries Techniques 2nd edition). In addition, procedures are provided to estimate natural mortality rates from equations presented in published papers.
FAST comes with a 140 page user’s manual and support documentation as PDF files. Analyses of four actual fisheries with varying management goals and the corresponding data sets serve as examples for the user. Below, the Table of Contents for the manual are presented.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Installing FAST
1.2 Why model fish populations?
1.3 Fish populations and fishing regulations
2. COMPUTATION OF STOCK
DENSITY AND RELATIVE WEIGHT INDICES
2.1 Background
2.2 Using FAST to compute stock density and mean Wr
2.3 Example: Computation of stock density and Wr indices for a smallmouth
bass population
3. GROWTH
3.1 Background
3.2 Computation of the von Bertalanffy growth function
3.3 Computation of the weight:length relation
3.4 Using FAST to compute the von Bertalanffy growth and the weight:length
functions
3.5 Interpretation of the FAST output for the von Bertalanffy growth and
weight:length functions
4. MORTALITY
4.1 Background
4.2 Computation of total mortality rates
4.3 Computation of fishing and natural mortality rates
4.4 Using FAST to compute annual mortality rates
4.5 Interpretation of FAST output for catch-curve regression
4.6 Using FAST to estimate natural mortality rates
5. RECRUITMENT
5.1 Background
5.2 Computation of recruitment variability using sampling methods
5.3 Computation of recruitment variability using catch-curve regressions
5.4 Computation of spawning potential ration (SPR)
5.5 Using FAST to predict impact of recruitment variability on the fishery
and population
5.6 Using FAST to compute spawning potential ratio (SPR)
5.7 Interpretation of the FAST output for temporal patterns of recruitment
6. MODELING POPULATIONS
AND FISHERIES: BRINGING GROWTH, MORTALITY, AND RECRUITMENT TOGETHER
6.1 Background
6.2 Use of the Beverton-Holt Equilibrium yield model in FAST
6.3 Summary
7. SIMULATED EFFECTS OF
MINIMUM LENGTH LIMITS ON THE SAUGER FISHERY IN THE TENNESSEE RIVER
7.1 Background
7.2 Modeling the sauger population
7.3 Management recommendations and actions
8. EFFECTS OF VARIABLE RECRUITMENT
ON THE EVALUATION OF A 254 mm MINIMUM LENGTH LIMIT ON CRAPPIE IN WEISS LAKE
8.1 Background
8.2 Modeling the crappie population
8.3 Management recommendations and actions
9. EVALUATING A 406 mm LENGTH
LIMIT AND A SLOT LIMIT FOR LARGEMOUTH BASS: IMPLICATIONS FOR CATCH AND RELEASE
AND TOURNAMENT FISHING IN LAKE EUFAULA
9.1 Background prior to the initiation of the 406 mm length limit
9.2 Modeling the largemouth bass population prior to the 406 mm length
limit
9.3 Background on post-length limit conditions
9.4 Re-evaluation of the 406 mm minimum length limit based on current
conditions
9.5 Evaluation of a 355 to 406 mm protective slot as a management alternative
9.6 Management recommendations and actions
10. USE OF THE SPAWNING
POTENTIAL RATIO TO EVALUATE RECRUITMENT OVER FISHING OF STRIPED BASS IN THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY
10.1 Background
10.2 Modeling the Chesapeake Bay striped bass population
10.3 Summary
11. USING FAST’s SPREADSHEET
AND GRAPHICS MODULES
11.1 Spreadsheet Module
11.2 Graphics Module
12. REFERENCES
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About the developers of FAST
Jeff Slipke and Mike Maceina are employed by the Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures at Auburn University. Their research interests have focused primarily on population assessment and management of freshwater fish. Jeff received his BS and MS degrees in fisheries biology from Iowa State University and South Dakota State University, and currently is a Research Associate III and a Ph.D. candidate. Jeff has published a number of peer-reviewed papers and has given presentations at fisheries meetings. Mike Maceina received BS and MS degrees from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and is currently a Professor. Mike has published 80 peer-reviewed publications, and is a consultant for a variety of private and government entities. Both Jeff and Mike conduct continuing education workshops on modeling using FAST as well as conduct short-courses on statistical design and analyses.
Cost: $75 per copy for single user
To purchase send check or
purchase order to:
AFS Computer User Section
Attention: Andy Loftus
3116 Munz Drive, Suite A
Annapolis, MD 21403, USA
Phone: 410-295-5997
email: ALoftus501@aol.com
Download
FAST_Manual_v2.0 (PDF)
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2008, |
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