August 5, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces the release of a new stock assessment prioritization system, which is described in the new report, Prioritizing Fish Stock Assessments.

This prioritization system will guide regional planning decisions for upcoming stock assessment cycles and will help managers make the best use of data and resources to manage stocks.

NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with the Councils and Commissions, manages approximately 500 fish stocks.  Resources available to assess these stocks are limited. This system relies on regional expertise from scientists and managers as well as quantitative data on each stock, much of which is already available in national/regional databases. 

Read the report on the NOAA Fisheries website, and find more information about stock assessment prioritization. Additional supporting information is available online through the Office of Science and Technology.

Atlantic herring. Credit: NOAA