Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 95-18 Report of the 20th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (20th SAW) Stock Assessment Review Committee (SARC) Consensus Summary ofAssessments Report ofthe 20th SAW NOAAJNational Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026 February 1996 Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 95-18 Report of the 20th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (20th SAW) Stock Assessment Review Committee (SARC) Consensus Summary ofAssessments Report ofthe 20th SAW NOAAlNational Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026 February 1996 Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 95-18 Report of the 20th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Worksh~p (20th SAW) Stock Assessment Review Committee (SARC) Consensus Summary ofAssessments Report ofthe 20th SAW NOAAJNational Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026 February 1996 · The Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Docwnent (CRD) series comprises informal reports produced by the Center for timely transmission of results obtained through work at various Center laboratories. The reports are reviewed internally before publication, but are not considered formal literature. The National Marine Fisheries Service does not endorse any proprietary material, process, or product mentioned in these reports. To obtain additional copies of this report, contact: Research Communications Unit, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02543- 1026 (508-548-5123 x 260). This report may be cited as: Northeast Fisheries Science Center. 19%. Report ofthe 20th NortheastRegional Stock Assessment Workshop (20th SAW): Stock Assessment Review Committee (SARC) consensns summary ofassessments. NortheastFish. Sci. Cent. Ref. Doc. 95-18; 211 p. Available from: National Marine Fisheries Service, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026. This report is a product of the 20th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (20th SAW). Proceedings and products of the 20th SAW are scheduled to be docwnented and released in the following CRD's: CRD 95-13 Assessment of the Georges Bank haddock stock for 1994. By L. O'Brien and R. W. Brown. CRD 95-14 An examination of the influence of environmental conditions on spring survey catches of Atlantic mackerel. By 1.K. T. Brodziak and S.-W. Ling. CRD 95-15 A comparison of some biological reference points for fisheries management By 1.K. T. Brodziak and W.J. Overholtz. CRD 95-16 Assessment for sea scallop in Mid-Atlantic and Georges Bank. By H-L. Lai, P. Rago, S. Wigley, L.C. Hendrickson, and J. Idoine. CRD 95-17 Assessment of black sea bass north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. By G.R. Shepherd and M.C. Lambert. CRD 95-18 Report of the 20th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (20th SAW): Stock Assessment Review Committee (SARC) consensns summary of assessments. CRD 95-19 Report of the 20th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (20th SAW): SAW Public Review Workshop. Page iii TABLE OF CONTENTS MEETING OVERVIEW I A. GEORGES BANK HADDOCK ................................................................................... 8 Term of Reference ............................................................................................... 8 The Fishery ........................................................................................................... 8 Commercial Landings ....................................................................... 8 Discards ............................................................................................... 8 Sampling Intensity ................................................................................... 8 Catch at Age ............................................... '" ............................................. 8 Mean Weights at Age ................................................................................... 9 Stock Abundance and Biomass Indices ........................................................... 9 Commercial Catch Rates 9 Research Vessel Survey Indices ........................................................... 9 Mortality and Maturation ................................................................................... 10 Natural Mortality ................................................................................... 10 Maturity ............................................................................................... 10 Estimates of Stock Size and Fishing Mortality .............................................. .. 10 Virtual Population Analysis Calibration .............................................. .. 10 Precision Estimates of F and SSB ........................................................... 11 Yield and Spawning Stock Biomass per Recruit .................................. .. 11 Projections ........................................................................................................... 11 Short-term Projections ....................................................................... 11 Medium-term Projections ....................................................................... 11 Equilibrium Yield Calculations ....................................................................... 12 Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 12 Sources of Uncertainty ................................................................................... 12 SARC Comments ............................................................................................... 13 Research Recommendations ................................................................................... 14 References ........................................................................................................... 14 B. SUMMER FLOUNDER ............................................................................................... 30 Terms of Reference 30 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 30 The Fishery ............................................................................................................ 30 Research Survey Abundance and Biomass Indices ................................................ 32 Estimates of Mortality and Stock Size ............................................................ 33 Natural Mortality Rate ........................................................................ 33 Estimates of Mortality from ALS Tagging Data .................................... 33 Virtual Population Analysis Calibration ................................................ 34 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 36 Sources of Uncertainty .................................................................................... 36 Pageiv SARC Comments 36 Research Recommendations ....... ..... ... .......... .... .... ..... ........ .............. ...... ....... ....... .... 38 References 39 C. ATLANTIC MACKEREL 60 Terms of Reference 60 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 60 Stock Structure ............................................................................................... 60 The Fishery ........................................................................................................... 61 Commercial Landings ....................................................................... 61 Commercial Discards ................................................................................... 62 Recreational Catch ................................................................................... 62 Sampling Intensity ................................................................................... 63 Age Composition of Landings ........................................................... 64 Stock Abundance Indices ................................................................................... 65 Research Survey Indices ....................................................................... 65 Commercial LPUE ................................................................................... 65 Recreational LPUE 66 Current Stock Distribution 66 Life History Parameters ................................................................................... 67 Mortality and Stock Size Estimates ...................................................................... 67 Biological Reference Points ................................................................................... 70 Yield and Spawning Stock Biomass Per Recruit ................................... 70 Recruitment Overfishing Threshold ........................................................... 70 Long-term Potential Yield ....................................................................... 71 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................... 71 SARC Discussion ............................................................................................... 72 Research Recommendations ................................................................................... 72 References 73 D. SEA SCALLOP IN MID-ATLANTIC AND GEORGES BANK 97 Terms of Reference ..............................................................................................