Standardized CPUE for the autumn and winter-spring cohorts of neon flying squid based on Japanese driftnet surveys from 2001 to 2024

We updated the standardized catch per unit effort (CPUE) of the autumn and winter-spring cohorts of neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) based on Japanese driftnet surveys conducted in the western North Pacific from 2001 to 2024. The individuals caught by the driftnets were divided into cohorts based on their mantle length. We used generalized additive models to standardize the CPUE, incorporating temporal (year and ten-days), spatial (latitude and longitude), and environmental (SST and lunar illumination) variables. We found large interannual variation in the standardized CPUE for both cohorts, with no clear increasing or decreasing trends over the years for both cohorts. This standardized CPUE can serve as a fishery-independent abundance index for future stock assessments of this species.