2015 Assessment of the Sablefish Stock in Alaska
February 09, 2015
Changes in the input data: New data included in the assessment model were relative abundance and length data from the 2015 longline survey, relative abundance and length data from the 2014 longline fishery, length data from the 2014 trawl fisheries, age data from the 2014 longline survey and 2014 fixed gear fishery, the 2015 Gulf of Alaska trawl survey abundance and length compositions, updated catch for 2014, and projected 2015- 2017 catches.
The longline survey abundance index decreased 21% from 2014 to 2015 following a 15% increase from 2013 to 2014 and is at the lowest point of the time series. The fishery abundance index increased 6% from 2013 to 2014 (the 2015 data are not available yet). The Gulf of Alaska trawl survey index was at its lowest point in 2013 but increased 12% in 2015. Spawning biomass is projected to decrease from 2016 to
2019, and then stabilize.