Note: The biosocioeconomic conditions index combines four indicators – fish prices, fuel cost, labor cost, and stock condition (the fishery-independent setline survey (FISS) weight per unit of effort (WPUE) of legal-size, over-32-inch (O32) Pacific halibut) – into a simplified relative measure of the conditions under which Pacific halibut commercial fisheries operate. Each indicator is expressed as its variation from the previous 10-year average (baseline set to 0%); higher prices and weight per unit of effort raise the index, while higher cost factors lower it. Stacked bars show each factor's contribution; the bold line is the coastwide index (regional indices weighted by the Fishery Constant Exploitation Yield, FCEY – the annual catch limit adopted by the Commission), and dashed lines show each region separately. The right axis shows total FCEY, in million net pounds. Because the scale is relative, values reflect year-to-year change rather than absolute conditions and should be compared only within a region over time. The index is not a measure of total economic impact.
See the methodology and data sources reference document (PDF) for details on index construction and data sources.