Harvest Control Rule (HCR)
D4. Fisheries, aquaculture, blue economy and marine resourcesDefinition
Pre-agreed rule linking management action to stock status.
A harvest control rule is a pre-agreed formula that converts stock status into a management action, removing year-to-year discretion and the political pressure that drives overfishing. A typical rule holds fishing mortality at F-MSY when biomass is healthy, then ramps F down linearly once biomass falls below a trigger point, cutting catch to zero at a limit reference point. Management strategy evaluation tests candidate HCRs against simulated stock dynamics before adoption by an RFMO or council.