Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) is a measure used in fisheries science to estimate the relative abundance of a species. It represents the number of catches (fish, shellfish, etc.) per unit of fishing effort (time, number of traps, etc.).
Formula
$$\text{CPUE} = \frac{C}{E}$$
Where:
- CPUE is the Catch Per Unit Effort
- C is the total number of catches
- E is the total effort units (hours, trips, hauls, etc.)
Example
If a fishing vessel catches 140 fish over 9 hours of fishing:
$$\text{CPUE} = \frac{140}{9} = 15.56 \text{ fish/hour}$$
This means the average catch rate is 15.56 fish per hour of fishing effort.
Applications
CPUE is commonly used to:
- Monitor fish stock abundance over time
- Compare fishing productivity across different areas
- Assess the effectiveness of fishery management measures
- Standardize catch data for scientific analysis