2013 Assessment of the Rougheye and Blackspotted Rockfish Stock Complex in the Gulf of Alaska
April 23, 2013
Rockfish are assessed on a biennial stock assessment schedule to coincide with the availability of new survey data. For Gulf of Alaska rockfish in on-cycle (odd) years, we present a full stock assessment document with updated assessment and projection model results to recommend harvest levels for the next two years. However, due to the 2013 government shutdown, we present an executive summary similar to an off-cycle year for Gulf of Alaska rougheye and blackspotted (RE/BS) rockfish. There was a large amount of new and updated data available for this stock complex (not just the most recent year) and there was not sufficient time for performing model evaluation and sensitivity analyses of this information. We present a short discussion of this new or updated data anticipated for the next full assessment in the Research Priorities section at the end of this document. Please refer to the last full stock assessment report presented in 2011 for further information regarding the assessment model (Shotwell et al., 2011, available online at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/docs/2011/GOArougheye.pdf). A full stock assessment document with updated assessment and projection model results will be presented in next year’s SAFE report.
We use a statistical age-structured model as the primary assessment tool for the Gulf of Alaska rougheye and blackspotted rockfish stock complex which qualifies as a Tier 3 stock. For this update year, we do not re-run the assessment model, but do update the projection model with new catch information. This incorporates the most current catch information without re-estimating model parameters and biological reference points.