Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) Calculator
~30 seconds
CPUE expresses how much catch is taken relative to the amount of fishing effort applied. It is commonly used to track changes in fish availability over time. Select your effort unit, enter total catch and effort, and calculate.
What this calculator determines
It calculates catch per unit effort by dividing total catch by the effort quantity you enter for a selected effort unit.
Related calculators
Examples
Longline — hooks
8,500 lb; 12,000 hooks
Calculation
- CPUE per 1,000 hooks = 8,500 ÷ 12,000 × 1,000 = 708.33 lb per 1,000 hooks
708 lb per 1,000 hooks
Crab — traps hauled
4,200 lb; 180 traps
Calculation
- CPUE = 4,200 ÷ 180 = 23.3 lb per trap
23.3 lb per trap
Assumptions & Conventions
- Hooks unit basis
- Hooks are entered as the actual number of hooks. CPUE for hooks is reported as pounds per 1,000 hooks.
- Effort-unit comparability
- CPUE values from different effort units are not directly comparable; compare using the same effort unit across periods.
- Index, not abundance
- CPUE is an index of catch relative to effort, not a direct measure of fish abundance. It is affected by gear efficiency, vessel skill, fish behavior, and how effort is defined.