Assessment of the Harvest Potential for Sea Ducks

Sea Duck Joint Venture, Harvest Management Subcommittee

Background:• In 2010, the Sea Duck Joint

Venture canvassed the management community to determine priority information needs for decision-making.

• Information to support harvest management decisions was considered to be the most important need.

Purpose of the SDJV Harvest Management Subcommittee:

• Further engage with the sea duck harvest management community to determine specific information needed to support decision-making,

• Determine what the SDJV research/monitoring programs can do to support those needs, and

• Develop recommendations/action items to incorporate into the next SDJV Strategic Plan (2013-17) to support harvest mgmt. information needs.

Participants:

Steps Identified:• Conduct an assessment of the harvest potential

for 5 species of sea ducks (black, surf & white-winged scoters, long-tailed ducks and American common eiders) using Potential Biol. Removal– Compile existing demographic information for each

species/geographic area – Where demographic information is lacking, obtain

expert opinion and agreement on parameters to use in the assessment

– Conduct the assessment and provide results for review, discussion and feedback at relevant meetings

• Identify and prioritize information gaps for the SDJV to address in support of harvest management decision-making

Discussion Points/Questions:• What survey information should be used to

determine Nmin for each species & geographic area?

Discussion Points/Questions:• What source(s) of information should be used

to determine Nmin for each species & geographic area?

• What sources of information should be used to estimate rmax for each species and geographic area?

Discussion Points/Questions:• Common eider banding has been occurring in

the northern portion of the Atlantic Flyway for many years.

Discussion Points/Questions:• Geographic extent of certain populations

(American COEI, breeding/wintering LTDU’s)

Proposed Next Steps:• Finish compiling demographic information for

black, white-winged and surf scoters (Dec. 2012)• Form species groups that will review information

for each of the 5 species and select parameter estimates (Dec. 2012)

• Where demographic information is lacking, species groups will obtain expert opinion and agreement on parameters to use in the assessment (Jan. – Feb. 2013)

• Conduct the PBR assessment and provide results for review and discussion at relevant flyway meetings (Feb. 2013)

Proposed Next Steps:• Identify and prioritize information needs for the

SDJV research & monitoring subcommittee’s to address (Mar. - Jun. 2013)

• Report back out to relevant flyways on progress, recommendations and plans for addressing information gaps by the SDJV (July 2013)

• Use feedback to update and incorporate priority information needs into the SDJV Implementation Plan & proposal process (July-Aug. 2013)

• Provide update on progress, direction, etc. at the next HMWG meeting (Nov. 2013)