Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Serial No. N6957 SCS Doc. 19/15 SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL MEETING - JUNE 2019 United States Research Report for 2018 by M.L. Traver and K.A. Sosebee NOAA/NMFS, Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
[email protected] A. Status of the Fisheries (Subareas 3- 6 Inclusive) Revised sampling and protocols were implemented in the Northeast Region in 1994, in 2004, and in 2010. Auditing and allocation procedures have been used to prorate total reported landings by species among areas. However, these procedures are subject to change and the landings, by area, are therefore still considered provisional. Most spring and autumn survey indices for 2009-2018 were converted from the FSV Henry B. Bigelow catches (weights) to RV Albatross IV catches (weights) using a either single conversion factor or length-specific conversion factors which have only been estimated for some species. Consequently, 2009-2018 survey data points should be interpreted cautiously, and these values may change in the future as new methodologies are considered. The 2009-2018 data points have been plotted separately in the figures presenting spring and fall survey data. In 2014, the spring survey did not cover a large portion of the Mid-Atlantic region and this has impacted the survey indices for summer flounder, southern red hake, Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic herring, spiny dogfish and little skate. The impact differs for each species and is discussed in those sections. In 2017, the fall survey did not cover the Southern New England to Mid-Atlantic region and this has impacted the survey indices for Southern New England yellowtail flounder, southern windowpane flounder, southern silver hake, butterfish, longfin inshore squid, shortfin squid, winter skate, barndoor skate, thorny skate, smooth skate, clearnose skate, and rosette skate.