2016 Assessment of the Pacific Ocean Perch Stock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
February 13, 2016
A summary of the 2016 assessment recommended ABCs relative to the 2015 recommendations is shown below. BSAI Pacific ocean perch are not overfished or approaching an overfished condition. The recommended 2017 ABC and OFL are 43,723 t and 53,152 t, which are 38% increases from the maximum ABC and OFL specified last year for 2017 of 31,724 t and 38,589 t. The 2016 AI survey biomass is large and consistent with the survey biomass estimates in 2010, 2012, and 2014, and the size composition data continue to show relatively strong recent cohorts. The mode is better able to fit the large AI survey biomass estimates since 2010, although the model total biomass is still lower the survey biomass estimates.
The ABC for BSAI Pacific ocean perch is currently apportioned among four areas: the western, central, and eastern Aleutian Islands, and eastern Bering Sea. A random effects model was used to smooth the time series of subarea survey biomass and obtain the proportions. Additionally, the smoothed biomass estimated for the EBS slope was adjusted to account for differences in estimated catchability and selectivity between the AI and EBS trawl surveys. The following table gives the projected OFLs and apportioned ABCs for 2017 and 2018 (using the adjusted distribution above), and the recent OFLs, ABCs, TACs, and catches.