Utility-per-recruit modeling: A neglected concept

Yield-per-recruit analysis consists of summing or integrating the relative weight of the catch over all ages exploited in a fishery. Utility-per-recruit analysis is a generalization of this in which the utility or value (not necessarily monetary) of the catch, instead of the weight, is accumulated over age. The utility function of age can take many forms. For a sport fishery, age-specific ratings of fish quality can be derived from angler interviews in order to construct the utility function. In commercial fisheries, utility would most generally be taken to be the net income per recruit (revenues minus costs). However, it will often be of interest to examine per-recruit revenue alone because this is easy to obtain. In several important cases, the computations can be performed analytically.