Pacific Hake/Whiting Treaty: Scientific Review Group Meeting

The Scientific Review Group will meet in February 2021 to review the draft Pacific hake (whiting) stock assessment.

About

The Scientific Review Group (SRG) created under the Pacific Hake/Whiting Treaty between the Governments of the United States and Canada will hold a webinar meeting on February 22-25, 2021, to review and provide a report on the draft 2021 stock assessment authored by the Treaty’s Joint Technical Committee (JTC).

Preliminary agenda items include: an overview of 2020 fisheries, presentation and review of the 2021 draft stock assessment, the ongoing Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE), and the integrated ecosystem & Pacific hake acoustic-trawl survey, as well as discussion of current and planned research projects. This meeting is open to the public and there will be opportunity for public comment.

Background information and documents for this meeting can be found on the Pacific Hake/Whiting Treaty webpage.

Meeting Dates & Times:

Monday, February 22: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
           Tuesday, February 23: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
           Wednesday, February 24:   9:00 am – 3:30 pm
           Thursday, February 25: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Meeting Location:

Online meeting only

Schedule

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

Monday, February 22, 2021

08:30 Early Log-in to resolve connection issues

09:00 Welcome and Introductions

Resolve immediate connection/communication problems

09:15 Review and Approve Meeting Agenda (Chair)

Review Terms of Reference for Assessments and Review Meeting
Review operational priorities and Co-chair recommendations for the virtual format
Meeting report mechanics
Assignment of reporting duties
Review procedures for resolving communication issues throughout the meeting

09:40 Fisheries, Data, and Inputs Used in the 2021 Assessment (JTC)

2020 Fisheries Catch, Size, and Age Composition Data
- Canadian Waters
- U.S. Waters

10:40 Break

11:00 2021 Pacific Hake/Whiting Assessment Modeling (JTC)

Methods, results and discussion

12:00 Lunch

13:20 2021 Pacific Hake/Whiting Assessment Modeling (JTC)

Methods, results and discussion (continue, as necessary)
Model performance and diagnostics: sensitivities and retrospectives
Response to 2020 SRG requests
Forecasts and management implications
Discussion

14:30 Break

14:45 Public Comment

15:00 SRG discussion, develop list of requests for JTC, as needed

15:30 Adjourn for the day

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

08:45 Early Log-in

09:00 Pacific hake/Whiting Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) Update (Kristin Marshall, JTC)

Responses to 2020 SRG recommendations
Update on MSE process (2021 work plan, further developing objectives and performance metrics, and requests from JMC)
Update on software development and testing
SRG Discussion & Recommendations

10:30 Break

10:50 Update on research related to ecosystem drivers of recruitment (Cathleen Vestfals)

12:00 Lunch

13:30 Review responses to 2021 SRG Stock Assessment Requests (JTC)

SRG discussion, develop list of requests for JTC

14:15 Break

14:30 Review responses to 2021 SRG Stock Assessment Requests (JTC) (cont.)

SRG discussion, develop list of requests for JTC

15:00 Public Comment

15:15 SRG Discussion

15:30 Adjourn for the day

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

08:45 Early Log-in

09:00 Review planning for the 2021 Integrated Ecosystem & Pacific Hake Acoustic-Trawl Survey (Survey Team)

SRG requests from 2020
2021 survey design
Update on survey-related research
Upcoming West Coast unified survey planning efforts

11:00 Break

11:15 Review results of 2021 SRG Stock Assessment Requests (JTC) (cont.)

Discussion of model finalization and management outcomes

12:00 Lunch

13:20 Review of SRG Assessment Recommendations & Research Priorities

Ecosystem Based Fishery Management metrics (Aaron Berger and Kristin Marshall)
Update on other hake-related research projects (JTC)

14:20 Public Comment

14:30 Break

14:45 SRG Discussion & Work Session

Stock assessment model finalization and management outcomes (as needed)
Finalize research needs/priorities for assessment, survey, and MSE
Draft SRG report

15:30 Adjourn for the day

Thursday, February 25, 2021

08:45 Early Log-in

09:00 SRG Work Session

10:15 Public Comment

10:30 Break

10:50 SRG Work Session (as needed)

12:00 Lunch

13:30 SRG Work Session (as needed)

Final SRG discussion, report review, requests for additional information, etc.
Distribution and review status of notes and draft SRG Report

15:30 SRG Meeting Adjourn

Last updated by West Coast Regional Office on 08/04/2022

Fish Stock Assessments