The Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review is a cooperative effort between the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and Pacific Islands Regional Office to improve the quality, timeliness, objectivity, and integrity of stock assessments and other scientific information used in Pacific Islands region fishery management.
Domestic Stock Assessments
This schedule outlines the years that specific stock assessments are reviewed in two broad categories: benchmark reviews and update reviews and the international schedule (for informational purposes below). The Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review schedule is for planning and informational purposes only, subject to change without notice. There is an approximately 10-month lag period between the end of the review and management implementation.
Main Hawaiian Islands
Deep 7 Bottomfish Complex
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Update | November 2026 | 2027–2029 (3 years) |
Benchmark/Data | December 2023 | 2024–2026 (3 years) |
Update | November 2020 | 2022–2024 (3 years) |
Benchmark/Data | November 2017 | 2019–2027 (3 years) |
Deep 7 Bottomfish Complex - Research Track
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Benchmark/Data | TBD | TBD |
Uku
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Benchmark/Data | February 2027 | 2028–2032 (5 years) |
Update | September 2024 | 2025–2027 (3 years) |
Benchmark/Data | February 2020 | 2021–2025 (5 years) |
Benchmark/Data | August 2016 | 2018–2021 |
Spanner Crab (Kona crab)
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Update | February 2025 | 2026–2031 (6 years) |
Benchmark/Data | September 2018 | 2020–2025 (6 years) |
Center for Independent Experts | December 2015 | 2017–2019 (3 years) |
Reef Fish
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Benchmark/Data | August 2016 | 2018 (1 year) |
Starting in 2019, federal catch limits for reef fish are no longer required. |
Guam
Bottomfish Complex
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Update | February 2024 | 2025–2029 (5 years) |
Benchmark/Data | July 2024 | TBD |
Benchmark/Data | April 2019 | 2020–2024 (5 years) |
Update | August 2015 | 2017–2019 (3 years) |
Reef Fish
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Benchmark/Data | February 2018 | N/A |
Starting in 2019, federal catch limits for reef fish are no longer required. |
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Bottomfish Complex
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Update | March 2025 | 2026–2030 (5 years) |
Benchmark/Data | April 2019 | 2020–2025 (6 years) |
Update | August 2015 | 2017–2019 (3 years) |
Reef Fish
Starting in 2019, federal catch limits for reef fish are no longer required.
American Samoa
Bottomfish Complex
Review Type | Scheduled/Completed | Applicable for Management |
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Update | February 2026 | 2026–2030 (5 years) |
Benchmark/Data | February 2023 | 2024–2026 (3 years) |
Benchmark/Data | April 2019 | 2020–2023 (4 years) |
Update | August 2015 | 2017–2019 (3 years) |
Reef Fish
Starting in 2019, federal catch limits for reef fish are no longer required.
Other Scientific Analyses
Scientific methodology used for stock assessments and other purposes may be reviewed under the Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review framework. Methods that have been reviewed since the establishment of Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review are detailed below.
Method | Review | Published Date | Publications By Author Name |
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Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Research Track | Center for Independent Experts | 2027 | |
Essential Fish Habitat | Western Pacific Stock Assessment Benchmark/Data Review | June 2022 | |
Creel Survey Expansion Algorithm | Center for Independent Experts | August 2021 | |
Bycatch Estimation | Center for Independent Experts | August 2015 | Christman, Jiao, Zhou |
Catch-MSY Assessment of Reef Fish | Center for Independent Experts | October 2015 | Cook, Oliveira, Neilson |
Length-based Assessment of Reef Fish | Center for Independent Experts | September 2015 | Dichmont, Pilling, Stokes |
International Stock Assessments
Select stocks of regional interest are shown for informational purposes only. The schedule for these are decided by Regional Fisheries Organizations and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations.
Tuna
Species | Lead Organization | Data Provided by NOAA Fisheries |
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Bigeye | Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission | 2017, 2020, 2023, 2026 |
Skipjack | Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission | 2019, 2022, 2025 |
Yellowfin | Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission | 2017, 2020, 2023, 2026 |
Pacific bluefin | International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean | 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2026 |
North Pacific albacore | International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean | 2017, 2020, 2023, 2026 |
South Pacific albacore | Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission | 2018, 2021, 2024, 2027 |
Sharks
Species | Lead Organization | Data Provided by NOAA Fisheries |
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North Pacific blue shark | International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean | 2017, 2022, 2027 |
North Pacific shortfin mako shark | International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean | 2015, 2018, 2024 |
Silky shark | Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission | 2018, 2024 |
Oceanic whitetip shark | Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission | 2019, 2025 |
Billfish
Species | Lead Organization | Data Provided by NOAA Fisheries |
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Western and Central North Pacific striped marlin | International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean | 2015, 2019, 2023, 2026 |
Pacific blue marlin | International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean | 2016, 2021, 2025 |
North Pacific swordfish | International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean | 2018, 2023 |
Southwest Pacific striped marlin | Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission | 2019, 2024 |
South Pacific marlin | Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission | 2017, 2021, 2025 |