February 12, 2015 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
Please see the invitation below to a webinar that will address planning for the next operational assessment for Atlantic herring. It is also important to be aware that if you attend the webinar, you will need to listen in via telephone. Further details are provided below.
Name: Assessment Oversight Panel–Atlantic Herring
Summary: Meeting of the Assessment Oversight Panel to discuss stock assessment update for Atlantic herring as an operational assessment.
Start Time: 02/17/2015 8:30 AM
Duration: 00:15
URL: https://noaast.adobeconnect.com/r9bdhrc4sdl/
Conference Number(s): 877/653-6612
Participant Code: 8116908
As a follow-up to a previous webinar meeting on December 22, the Assessment Oversight Panel (AOP) will convene a webinar on Tuesday, February 17 from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. to review the assessment plan for Atlantic herring. The Northeast Regional Coordinating Council has requested an Operational Assessment for Atlantic herring in the spring of 2015. Following our last webinar, the AOP decided that the performance of the current model for herring would not be a sufficient to craft an Overfishing Limit (OFL). The lead assessment scientist has come up with an approach that we will be reviewing on the 17th.
This meeting will allow the Assessment Oversight Panel, Council staff, and other participants the opportunity to ask questions about the assessment and highlight any concerns. The focus will be on the so called "Plan B" alternative rather than the existing assessment model.
The Assessment Oversight Panel consists of the chair of the NEFMC’s SSC (Jake Kritzer) and the MAFMC’s SSC (John Boreman), and a senior stock assessment scientist from the NEFSC (Dr. Paul Rago). Reviewers for the assessment will be drawn primarily from the Scientific and Statistical Committees of both Councils.
See the above details on connecting to the webinar and the conference call. Please note that you must use your phone for this meeting. You will not be able to listen via your computer.
As part of this process, a date may be set for the Operational Assessment. April 8-9 has been tentatively identified as a feasible date for this meeting.