*** Please note that stock assessment meetings are hosted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Webinar connection information for these meetings is only available on the meeting page (linked above) and will not be posted on the Council calendar. ***
Background Information
Management track assessments provide updated catch advice on a regular schedule. The schedule varies by species. Each year there are two management track assessment peer reviews (one in June and one in September) that encompass several species. These assessments begin with a previously approved assessment model and a plan to carry forward an updated assessment with possible changes to the data or parameters in the model.
In February, the Assessment Oversight Panel (AOP) recommends the level of peer review appropriate for each assessment. There are three levels of management track peer review:
Level 1: direct delivery (i.e., no peer review) of simple data and model updates;
Level 2: expedited peer review of updates with some changes to the model or data streams; or
Level 3: enhanced peer review of updates with extensive changes.
After the AOP meets and makes its recommendations, the assessment leads will then carry out the management track assessment within the scope of the approved plan for each stock.
During the peer review meeting, a small panel of relevant Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) members and other experts will review the Level 2 and Level 3 assessment for technical merit and provide recommendations on whether the assessments should or should not be used for management.
Additional information about stock assessments is available on the Council’s Stock Assessments page and on the NOAA Fisheries website.
What Happens Next?
The results of all five management track stock assessments will be reviewed by the Mid-Atlantic Council’s SSC at their July 23-24, 2024 Meeting. The Council will then consider the assessment results, along with SSC’s recommendations and input from the Advisory Panels and Monitoring Committees, at their August 2024 meeting when they set specifications (i.e. annual catch limits, commercial and recreational harvest limits, and other related measures) for these stocks for upcoming fishing years.
