May 9, 2007
IPHC
Stock Assessment Workshop – June 27-28th, 2007
The
International Pacific Halibut Commission introduced a modified
approach to assessing the Pacific halibut stock at its 2007
Annual Meeting. While
employing the same stock assessment model as had been used
previously, the assessment used the model to determine a single
coastwide estimate of exploitable biomass.
This single coastwide estimate was then apportioned into
IPHC regulatory area estimates using data from the
fishery-independent IPHC setline stock assessment survey and
estimates of bottom area from each regulatory area.
At the 2007
Annual Meeting, the IPHC Commissioners deferred adoption of the
new approach until IPHC staff had conducted a workshop involving
other stock assessment researchers and industry participants, to
further explore the basis and implications of the new approach.
The general intent of this workshop will be to develop a
final assessment approach for the current year during the
summer, incorporating necessary changes resulting from the
workshop, prior to conducting the current year assessment in the
fall of the year. The
workshop will be held at the Hotel Nexus, in Seattle, on June
27-28, 2007. A
registration form for the workshop with details on the venue is
attached to this News Release and is available on the IPHC
website (www.iphc.washington.edu).
Registration forms must be received by June 15, 2007.
The workshop
will cover: detailed description of the assessment data; data
compilation and preprocessing; detailed description of the
assessment model; fitting the assessment model; alternate model
fits involving different parameterizations; methods of
apportioning coastwide biomass into regulatory area biomass;
development of optimal harvest policy.
The workshop is intended be technical, rather than
educational, and participants are expected to be familiar with
the IPHC assessment process.
Relevant documents are IPHC Scientific Report 83, which
describes the assessment model and harvest policy:
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/research/sa/papers/sr83.pdf
as well as
documents describing the 2006 IPHC stock assessment and yield
recommendations:
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/research/sa/papers/sa06.pdf
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/research/sa/papers/prospect.pdf
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/pubs/rara/2006rara/2k6rara04.pdf
The IPHC is also conducting an independent peer review
of the assessment and the peer reviewers will attend the
workshop. The
workshop will be chaired by an independent stock assessment
scientist. A report
of the workshop will be produced for presentation to the
Commission in the fall of 2007.
Questions on the workshop can be directed to either Tamara
Briggie or Bruce Leaman,
or the IPHC office at (206) 634-1838.
Registration
Form
Location
Hotel
Nexus
Cascade Ballroom
2140
N. Northgate Way
Seattle, Washington 98133
Phone: (206) 365-0700 / (800) 435-0754
Facsimile: (206) 365-0750
Website: www.hotelnexusseattle.com
Directions: www.hotelnexusseattle.com/maps.html
Hotel Nexus will be holding a limited number of rooms
at $105 per night until June 5th for those interested in
overnight accommodations. You
may call the hotel directly and reference booking code "UW
IPHC" or visit www.hotelnexusseattle.com/stockassessmentjun2007
to receive this group rate.
Preliminary Schedule
June 27th
8:00am-6:00pm
June 28th
8:00am-12:00pm
1:00pm-6:00pm (if required)
Please
contact our office via telephone ((206) 638-1838) or e-mail
for further information
