Biological and environmental data collected from the summer and fall groundfish surveys provide critical information to stock assessors and researchers.
The National Standard Guidelines for Fishery Management Plans published by NOAA Fisheries require that a stock assessment and fishery evaluation report be prepared and reviewed annually for each fishery management plan.
The Gulf of Alaska thornyhead complex remain on a biennial stock assessment schedule with a full stock assessment produced in even years and no stock assessment produced in odd years.
The shark complex (spiny dogfish, Pacific sleeper shark, salmon shark and other/unidentified sharks) in the Gulf of Alaska is assessed on a biennial stock assessment schedule.
The shallow-water flatfish stock complex in the Gulf of Alaska includes Alaska plaice, butter sole, English sole, sand sole, starry flounder, yellowfin sole, northern rock sole, and southern rock sole.
