The Assessment Oversight Panel (AOP) will meet by webinar on Thursday, February 25, 2021 to review the species-specific stock assessment plans for the June 2021 Management Track process and recommend the level of peer review necessary for each assessment. The following MAFMC-managed stocks will be assessed as part of the June 2021 Management Track process:
Atlantic mackerel
Black sea bass
Bluefish
Golden tilefish
Scup
Summer flounder
Meeting Details
Please visit the February 25 AOP Meeting page on the NOAA Fisheries website for an agenda and webinar connection details. This meeting is open to the public.
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.
The AOP is responsible for reviewing and approving management track assessment plans and recommending the appropriate level of peer review for each management track assessment. The AOP is composed of four members: a member of the Mid-Atlantic Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), a member of the New England Council’s SSC, a member of the ASMFC Assessment Science Committee, and the NEFSC Chief of the Populations Dynamics Branch.
During this meeting, the lead assessment scientist for each species will present the assessment plans to the AOP. The AOP will then recommend 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.
A peer review meeting will be held at the end of the process to review the Level 2 and 3 assessments. For the June 2021 Management Track assessments, the peer review meeting is scheduled for June 28 - July 2, 2021.
Additional information about stock assessments is available on the Council’s Stock Assessments page and on the NOAA Fisheries website.