Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) is an important fishery species in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, and its fishery involves multiple countries and various types of operations, resulting in its complexity. However, there are no appropriate conservation and management measures based on stock assessments of chub mackerel in this area. In this study, a management strategy for this key species in the Northwest Pacific Ocean was evaluated using traditional methods (resource projections) and data-limited approaches. Based on the stock assessment results of the JABBA and JABBA-Select models, the population dynamics were projected under different harvest control rules (HCRs). Four HCRs were set up for a chub mackerel fishery from 2023 to 2032, with total allowable catch (TAC)=(0.8–1.4)×Catch₂₀₂₀ (catch in 2020), maximum sustainable yield (MSY), B×F_MSY or SB×H_MSY (for JABBA and JABBA-Select respectively), and Catch_max (historical maxmum catch). The results showed that the stock was projected to be more negative in the JABBA-select model considering spawning stock biomass than in the JABBA model. Based on the MSY-related reference points, HCR_3 performed the best (TAC of 50–80 million tons and 50–66 million tons, respectively). The MSE then selected 12 strategies with better conservation management effects according to the settings, among which DAAC and SBT2 had the best conservation management effects. The TAC obtained from SBT2 was more appropriate for conservation, close to the TAC (520387 t) from HCR_3 and the recent catch. Robustness and sensitivity analyses showed that the catchability coefficient, natural mortality, and catch-related parameters (average catch, catch, catch reference) had a significant influence on management performance, requiring more attention to estimate accuracy and precision. In conclusion, the conservation and management of chub mackerel in the Northwest Pacific Ocean should consider catch limits based on B×F_MSY or SB×H_MSY by adjusting resource and catch levels.