Stock Assessment Methods for Data Poor Situations

Tuesday, September 14, 2010: 8:00 AM-2:00 PM
401 (Convention Center)
Despite efforts to improve the quantity and quality of data for the assessment of resource status, there is a need for assessment methods that can be used in data-poor situations. This growing need is particularly driven by the latest revision to the Magnuson-Stevens Act (2007) which requires all federally managed fish stocks (those listed in various Fishery Management Plans) to have quotas (Annual Catch Limits) developed by 2011. Additionally, in the future we can expect increased demands for information on finer spatial scales to facilitate protection of stocks and substocks, and demands for information on more species in order to assess ecosystem structure and function. The concept of data-poor and data-rich stocks varies among the federally managed regions. At a minimum, a catalogue of features commonly encountered in data-poor situations would include:   incomplete data, possibly non-representative data, small sample sizes, limited number of variables for which there is information, uncalibrated data (e.g., unknown catchability and selectivity of fishing gear), unreliable data (e.g., unreported landings, unquantified discard mortality), and borrowing of parameter values or data from other species or fisheries. Methodological developments include modifying traditional estimators to deal with non-equilibrium situations and constructing general models that include data-rich and data-poor situations as special cases. This symposium focuses on the development, evaluation and application of assessment methods and models that are appropriate when the available data are extremely limited, with an emphasis on example cases.
Moderators:
Douglas S. Vaughan, Ph.D. , John Hoenig, Ph.D. and Todd Gedamke, Ph.D.
Organizers:
Douglas S. Vaughan, Ph.D. , Michael Prager, Ph.D. , John Hoenig, Ph.D. , Todd Gedamke, Ph.D. and Alec MacCall
8:00 AM
Symposium overview
Alec MacCall, National Marine Fisheries Service
8:20 AM
Application of life history theories to data poor assessments
Elizabeth Brooks, PhD, National Marine Fisheries Service; Joseph E. Powers, PhD, Louisiana State University; Enric Cortes, Ph.D., National Marine Fisheries Service
8:40 AM
Predicting stock productivity when fecundity is indeterminate
Kyle Shertzer, PhD, NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research; Todd Kellison, NOAA Fisheries,; David Wyanski, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; Gary Fitzhugh, NOAA Fisheries
9:00 AM
Comparative analysis of data-poor methods for non-aged stocks
Christopher Legault, Ph.D., National Marine Fisheries Service
9:20 AM
Depletion-corrected average catch
Alec MacCall, National Marine Fisheries Service
9:40 AM
A catch-free assessment model
Clay Porch, Ph.D., National Marine Fisheries Service
10:00 AM
Break
10:20 AM
Evaluation of an index method (AIM) for data poor stocks
Paul Rago, PhD, NOAA, NEFSC; Chris Legault, PhD, NOAA, NEFSC
11:00 AM
11:20 AM
Better catch curves: incorporating age-specific natural mortality and logistic selectivity
James Thorson, University of Washington; Michael Prager, Ph.D., National Marine Fisheries Service
11:40 AM
Development of a productivity-susceptibility analysis and its application to Alaska groundfish stocks
Paul Spencer, NMFS - Alaska Fisheries Science Center; Olav Ormseth, NMFS - Alaska Fisheries Science Center
1:40 PM
Guidance on setting ACL's when only average catch is known
James Berkson, Ph.D., National Marine Fisheries Service, SEFSC
See more of: Symposium Submissions