February 28, 2013 –The Atlantic Menhaden Board reviewed a Technical Committee (TC) report detailing the current status of the stock, a request for funds to digitize historical tagging data, and further development of the adult index of abundance.
The TC currently lists the status of the Atlantic menhaden stock as experiencing overfishing, but it is unknown if the stock is overfished based on the new maximum spawning potential reference points adopted through Amendment 2. The uncertainty in the stock status determination is because a sensitivity run that incorporated dome shaped selectivity resulted in a not overfished outcome, but all other sensitivity runs defined the stock as overfished. The TC plans to address the uncertainty in the selectivity through the 2014 benchmark assessment, which will hopefully lead to a more definitive determination on stock status.
To help address selectivity in the Atlantic menhaden fishery, the TC requested funds to digitize a historical tagging data set for inclusion in the 2014 benchmark stock assessment. The Commission’s Executive Committee decided to fund the request as recommended by the Board to recognize the importance of additional data in the upcoming benchmark assessment.
The Board also assigned a subcommittee of Commissioners from New England states to revise and edit the episodic events set aside for Board review at the May meeting. Additionally the Board reviewed the compliance criterion that needs to be included in each state’s plan to implement Amendment 2 for 2013.
The Multispecies Technical Committee (MSTC) updated the Board on inclusion of additional predators for the MSVPA model. The MSTC plans to include top predators on menhaden in the MSVPA model dependent upon data availability.
Lastly, the Board repopulated the membership for the Stock Assessment Subcommittee in preparation of the 2014 benchmark stock assessment. Additionally, the Board populated the Plan Review Team in preparation of implementing and tracking compliance with Amendment 2.
For more information, please contact Mike Waine, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at mwaine@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.
Read the winter meeting summary here