Evaluation of the Data Available for Bottomfish Stock Assessments in American Samoa

In preparation for the 2023 assessment, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Stock Assessment Program began reviewing the data available in American Samoa to identify the next steps in improving stock assessments. 

The goal of this report is to explore the different data sources in American Samoa for catch, catch per unit effort (CPUE), and size data, to determine the types of assessment models that could be implemented in the next benchmark assessments, including single-species assessments. More specifically, this report explored the data generated by the boat- and shore-based creel surveys, the biosampling program, the NOAA diver surveys, and the commercial purchase program. 
 

Nadon M, Bohaboy E. 2022. Evaluation of the data available for bottomfish stock assessments in American Samoa. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-123, 85 p.  https://doi.org/10.25923/m74z-7d07.