June 22, 2017 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) is seeking qualified applicants to serve on two different Stock Assessment Workshop (SAW) Working Groups for upcoming benchmark stock assessments for Atlantic herring and Atlantic sea scallops. The deadline for submitting questionnaires for use in the selection process is June 30, 2017.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The SAW is a formal scientific peer review process for evaluating and presenting stock assessment results. SAW Working Groups prepare benchmark stock assessments that are peer reviewed by a Stock Assessment Review Committee and then published.
BENCHMARKS: The benchmark stock assessments for Atlantic herring and Atlantic sea scallops will be conducted in the first half of 2018. Preparations are underway.
SELECTION PROCESS: The Northeast Regional Coordinating Committee (NRCC) recently developed new guidelines related to the formation of SAW Working Groups and the selection of participants. As part of the new format, all candidates — other than the Working Group chair and lead stock assessment scientist — now are required to fill out a questionnaire. The questionnaires will be used to guide the rest of the selection process. Final selections will be made by a NRCC selection committee.
CRITERIA: The selection committee will consider, among other criteria, the independence, expertise, and education of candidates. The size, composition, and balance of the SAW Working Groups also are factors. NEFSC stated, “Effective assessment workgroups typically consist of 4-8 members with a broad range of skills and proficiency and should include individuals from several disciplines. Applicant qualifications should be directly relevant to the particular stock they wish to assess.”
TIMELINE: The deadline for submitting completed questionnaires is June 30, 2017. A short list of selected SAW Working Group candidates is expected to be announced by July 11, 2017. The NRCC will review the short list and make final recommendations to the science center. A public announcement of the final decisions and working group compositions is targeted for July 24, 2017.
APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE: Additional information and the application questionnaire are available at SAW Working Groups.
QUESTIONS: Completed forms should be emailed to Sheena Steiner at sheena.steiner@noaa.gov. Sheena also is available by phone at (508) 495-2177 to answer questions.