Ives M (2011) BIOMAS: a bio-economic modelling and assessment system for fisheries management strategy evaluation. Presentation given at the 2011 MODISM conference (Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand), 12 – 16 December 2011, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Western Australia.

Summary

The primary goal of data collection on exploited fish stocks is to enable the development of some form of credible stock assessment. Ideally, enough information will be collected to enable management strategy evaluations on the stock, providing guidance to management on future decisions. However, in many fisheries management agencies the ability to rapidly and cost-effectively build and run such management strategy evaluation models is as much an impediment as the lack of data.

The BIOMAS software provides users with the ability to rapidly develop fisheries models for the exploration of alternative management strategies. The system is theoretically capable of incorporating any number of species, fishing fleets and spatial compartments in a single model. Further complexity is provided with the ability to implement environmental effects on stocks and management effects on fishing fleets, as well as the tracking of economic costs and revenue from fishing activity.