Updated summary of the longitudinal distribution of juvenile Pacific saury in response to NPFC CMM 2021-08

Information on the geographical distribution of age-0 Pacific saury in June and July was updated based on the age-0 distribution predicted by the VAST model using the Japanese trawl net survey data up to 2022. The age-0 fish was mainly distributed in the waters east of 180° in the early fishing season in the latest three years (2020-2022). The age-0 biomass index in the waters west of 170°E has been below 20% of the total biomass index and rapidly increased along longitude east of 170°E in the last decade, except in 2017. Therefore, this paper supports the longitude of 170°E as the boundary for protecting most juvenile fish specified in the present CMM for Pacific saury.