Last Revised: December 2006
The synopses of information on the status of the stocks of the
42
species or groups of species presented in this section are based
on commercial and recreational fishery data and on research survey
data, as described in the Introduction to this report. Each synopsis
briefly reviews the biology of the animals and the general nature
of the fishery, summarizes recent catch statistics and stock assessment
results and indicates the general status of the stock. For each
stock or species a summary table1 of recent catches
is presented, along with graphs depicting trends in landings,
stock abundance, fishing mortality, age structure and other pertinent
results from the most recent stock assessment. The measures of
stock abundance include research vessel survey catch per tow indices
and estimated stock size from age structured or biomass dynamics
models.
References in the text to catches
or indices of abundance usually refer to values given in the tables
and figures. In some cases, however, summary statistics provided
in the text for different areas, fishing gears, or data sources
are not presented in the tables and figures. Catch statistics
in the tables are given in thousands of metric tons (mt), rounded
to the nearest 100 metric tons; values less than 100 mt are indicated
as <0.1. Information on landings and trends in stock abundance
and biomass is presented through the most recent complete year
while, in most cases, the determination of stock status is based
on the most recent peer-reviewed assessment which may not be as
current.
Many of the assessments summarized
in this section have been prepared and/or reviewed through the
Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW), the Transboundary
Resource Assessment Committee (TRAC) and the Groundfish Assessment
Review Meeting (GARM) processes described in the Introduction.
The reports of these workshops, and reports in which the assessments
are provided in greater detail, are cited where applicable, and
are available on the following Web sites:
SAW: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/saw/
TRAC: http://www.mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/TRAC/TRAC.HTML
GARM: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/groundfish/
NEFSC Online Publications: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications
1The tables in this
section are labeled using decimal notation by species and table
within that species. For example, Table 7.2 indicates the second
table for the seventh species synopsis, yellowtail flounder.
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