2014 Science Program Reviews: Stock Assessment Process › news › events › program_reviews › doc… · 2014 Science Program Reviews: Stock Assessment Process John Stein, Director

2014 Science Program Reviews: Stock Assessment Process

John Stein, Director

Northwest Fisheries Science Center


June 10, 2014

NOAA Fisheries Program Reviews

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 2

Are we doing good science?

Are we doing the right science?

Why Program Reviews, Why Now?

• Beginning in Jan 2013, NOAA Fisheries is

conducting a systematic review of fisheries science

programs

• Peer reviews ensure delivery of high quality,

trusted, timely science supporting sustainable and

profitable U.S. fisheries industries and healthy

domestic seafood


Context For This Review

Background on the scope of the science at the NW Center


NWFSC Science: Key marine resources and

geographic range

West Coast Groundfish

Pacific Salmon

Southern Resident Killer Whales

Geographic range of our work

NWFSC Strategic Plan Themes


Montlake Center

Mukilteo

Research Station

Newport Research

Station

Pasco

Research Station

Manchester

Research Station

Pt. Adams

Research Stations

West Coast

Observers

Bellingham

Seattle Field office & port

Neah Bay

Westport

Ilwaco

Astoria Field office & port

Pacific City

Newport Field office & port

Coos Bay

Brookings

Crescent City

Eureka Field office &

port

Ft. Bragg

Bodega Bay

San Francisco

Half Moon Bay

Santa Cruz

Monterey

Morro Bay Field office & port

Santa Barbara

Newport Beach

Port Orford

Channel Islands

Oceanside

San Diego

Ventura

Dana Point

Long Beach

Moss Landing

Avila

Garibaldi

Gold Beach

Office of the Director

John Stein, Director

Mark Strom, Deputy Director

Science Synthesis

and Coordination

Conservation Biology

Michael Ford

Env & Fisheries

Science

Walt Dickhoff

Fish Ecology

Rich Zabel

Fisheries Research

Analysis & Monitoring

Michelle McClure

Operations, Management,

& Information

Stewart Toshach

Ecosystem Science

Phil Levin

Genetics and

Evolution

Jeff Hard

Mathematical Biology

and Systems

Monitoring

Chris Jordan

Aquaculture

Ron Johnson

Ecotoxicology

Nat Scholz

Environmental Chemistry

Gina Ylitalo

Environmental Physiology

Penny Swanson

Hatchery Reform Science

Tom Flagg

Marine Fish & Shellfish Biology

Rick Goetz

Marine Microbes and Toxins

Linda Rhodes

Ecosystem Analysis

Beth Sanderson

Estuarine & Ocean

Ecology

Kurt Fresh

Migrational Behavior

Doug Dey

Watershed

Phil Roni

Economic and Social

Science Research

Todd Lee

Fisheries Observation

Jon McVeigh

Groundfish Ecology

(Vacant)

Population Ecology

Jim Hastie

Budget

John Turrell

Facilities and Safety

Jim Herkelrath

Human Resources

Marina Derksema

Info Technology

Alicia Matter

Science Data

Management

Rich Kang

Small Vessels

Rick Brown


Science

Communications

By the Numbers

• Staff: ca. 310 (Federal) 80 (contractors) in 6 locations

• FY14 Funding:

• Approx $53M NOAA

• Approx $20M outside


NWFSC’s Strategic Planning

2007: First Strategic Science Plan

2013: Revised Strategic Science Plan

2013 & 14: Annual guidance memos

Planning documents support priorities

laid out in the NMFS and NOAA Strategic

Plans


NWFSC Director’s Guidance for FY14

• Two Focus Areas

• California Current Ecosystem Monitoring

• Habitat Science


NWFSC Director’s Guidance for FY14

• Seven key funding priorities:

1) Fully staff high priority west coast surveys

2) Conduct groundfish and hake stock assessments for PFMC

3) Complete required observer monitoring and support electronic monitoring program development

4) Provide science in support of groundfish BiOp

5) Provide science to support national pesticide BiOp

6) Provide science to support recovery of listed species

7) Provide science supporting important salmon BiOps

8) Fund FY14 aquaculture priorities


Setting Priorities • Strategic Plan provides foundation

• Mandates drive our priorities

• Implementation Process:

• Online Project Database

• Project descriptions

• Project rankings

• Criteria • Importance to mission and relationship to

strategic plan, AGM

• Relative risk (scientifically, economically, politically)

Note: This is an evolving process.


10%

10%

17%

35%

Average 2012-13 West Coast Commercial Ex-Vessel Revenue


Groundfish (excl. hake) Pacific hake Coastal Pelagics Highly Migratory

Salmon Crab Shrimp Other

Non-FMP Species

Groundfish = $105 million

Total = $530 million

Average 2012-13 West Coast Sector Landings of Non-Hake Groundfish


Recreational catches > 80% of

nearshore rockfish

State of the Stocks as of 2013 (assessment year noted by symbols)

Flatfish MSST

MSST for other groundfish Overfishing /

Overfished

Not Overfishing /

Not Overfished

Not Overfishing /

Overfished

Overfishing / Not

Overfished

Science and Management of WC Groundfish

• Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC)

• Collaborate to set stock assessment priorities

• STAR panels (review process)

• NW and SW Centers and West Coast Regional Office

• Fishery-independent and observer data, stock assessments and regulatory framework

• Develop biennial harvest guidelines

• Pacific States Marine Fish Commission (PSMFC)

• Coordinates fisheries-dependent data


West Coast Groundfish Stock Assessments – Context

• Priority for stock assessments set with Council.

Biennial cycle for assessments

• STAR Panels are a Council process, but highly

collaborative process

• Recent development/approval of data moderate

methods improves throughput

Scope of Review (from Terms of Reference)

• West Coast Groundfish stock assessment program under

MSA

• Builds on 2013 review of fishery, survey and biological data

• This year’s focus is on:

• Assessment modeling

• Assessment approach

• Review process

• Communication

• Not an in-depth review of individual stock assessments

Reviewers’ Tasks

Reviewers should review and comment on (from Terms of Reference):

1) Does the Center apply a suitable scientific/technical approach to

fishery stock assessment modeling?

2) Is the assessment process efficient, effective and clearly

described, including terms of reference for assessment reports?

3) Does the Center, in conjunction with other entities such as the

Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), have an

adequate peer review process?

4) Is the Center’s program organization effective at accomplishing

needed assessments according to a set of assessment priorities?

Include program structure, staffing, and funding; include

prioritization of stocks for assessment.

Reviewers’ Tasks, continued

Reviewers should review and comment on (from Terms of Reference):

5) Does the Center achieve adequate assessment

accomplishments relative to mandates particularly with respect to

the number of Fishery Management Plan (FMP) species assessed?

6) Does the assessment program adequately communicate their

results, needs, and research?

7) Are there opportunities for improving stock assessments and

the stock assessment process?

Report and Report Out

• Individual reports from each member of the panel

• Chair provides a summary report

• Draft reports by end of the week, a week or so to polish

• Friday mid-morning report-out by panel

Thank you!

Questions?


Documents

2014 Science Program Reviews: Stock Assessment Process › news › events › program_reviews › doc… · 2014 Science Program Reviews: Stock Assessment Process John Stein, Director