Increasing the precision of the daily egg production method; 2020’s remix of a 1980’s classic

This paper reviews application of the Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM) to sardine (Sardinops sagax) off southern Australia between 1995 and 2019. Coefficients of variation (CVs) of estimates of spawning biomass (SB) were reduced from 23–59% to 8–12% by: (i) estimating mean daily egg production (P₀), spawning fraction (S), and sex ratio (R) from all historical data rather than annually; and (ii) combining batch fecundity (F) and female weight (W) into a single parameter, relative fecundity (F′ = Total daily egg production was estimated most precisely from annual estimates of spawning area (A) and estimates of P₀ obtained from historical data. Both S and R were estimated most precisely from historical data. Estimating W and F from historical data did not increase precision. F′ had lower CVs than both W and F, and was stable across years and a wide range of W. Findings demonstrate that A can be converted into a precise estimates of SB using estimates of P₀, S, R, and F′ obtained from historical data. However, the possibility that DEPM parameters may change in the future cannot be discounted. Future monitoring should include annual estimation of P₀ and periodic (e.g. 3–5 years) re-estimation of adult parameters.