A new project is exploring the possibility of using industry catch and effort data to inform Gulf of Alaska rockfish assessments and aid better management, maximise economic benefit and minimise the risk of overfishing.
The Science-Industry Rockfish Research Collaboration in Alaska, formed of NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Fisheries Science Center; Alaska Pacific University; Alaska Seafood Cooperative; and the Alaska Groundfish Data Bank, will aim for improved accuracy in rockfish stock assessments in the Gulf of Alaska. It will collect scientific data in ‘untrawlable’ areas where standard NOAA Fisheries survey trawls can't sample fish populations.
The Collaboration plans to use new stock assessment methods that allow for the incorporation of fishery-dependent data from untrawlable habitats. These methods require cooperation and careful study of gear performance and fishing behaviour to minimise the differences between tows.
"We need to collect data in a way that is both useful for assessment and practical for fishermen. We hope to do this by making minor modifications to existing industry effort,” said Madison Hall, NOAA Fisheries affiliate.
Two-part plan
The team developed a two-part plan, which will firstly involved assessing if historical fishing industry data can be used to create an index of rockfish abundance.
"We need to understand whether the trends in abundance from industry catch and effort data align with NOAA Fisheries bottom trawl survey abundance estimates,” said Hall.
That involves statistical analyses of industry data, meetings with fishermen, and going on fishing trips to see industry in action.
The second part of the plan is to explore the degree to which industry tows can be standardised in the future to assess abundance.
Following this, the team will develop an industry survey design and launch a pilot survey.
