NOAA Fisheries Approach to Next Generation Stock Assessments

Since the Reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act in 2006, the NOAA Fisheries stock assessment enterprise has been critical to providing fishery managers with scientific information to set annual catch limits to rebuild fish stocks and prevent overfishing. Over the past decade, NOAA Fisheries has successfully implemented a number of measurable improvements through strategic investments in research, improved data collection and capacity building.  These dedicated investments have produced new analytical tools and improved data inputs that can be leveraged to enhance the timeliness, efficiency and quality of stock assessments nationwide. Today, NOAA Fisheries is updating its approach to stock assessments to use a prioritized portfolio, where assessments have specific targets for frequency of updating and level of completeness, to incorporate ecosystem information as needed, and to use advanced sampling technologies wherever possible to improve data collection. These Next Generation Stock Assessments will be designed to provide fishery managers with baseline monitoring for all managed fish stocks and targeted assessments for key stocks. NOAA Fisheries will also strengthen its performance management by better representing and measuring progress towards improving the quality of stock assessments for the sustainable management of fish stocks in the context of their respective ecosystems.