65th Northeast Regional Stock Assessment Workshop (65th SAW) Assessment Report

SARC 65 concluded that the sea scallop stock is neither overfished nor did it experience overfishing in 2017. The Panel also concluded that the SAW WG had reasonably and satisfactorily completed all tasks specified in the ToRs. A gonad-based SSB and related reference points were developed and presented. But the panel recommended that in the interim meat weight-based reference points continue to be used. The method of using gonad weight to calculate spawning stock size looks promising, but additional work is needed to fully develop the approach. The panel also recommended determining whether to continue with multiple survey approaches, as is currently done, or to select a single survey methodology for the future. SARC 65 concluded that the Atlantic herring stock is neither overfished nor did it experience overfishing in 2017. The Panel also concluded that the SAW WG had reasonably and satisfactorily completed all tasks specified in the ToRs. The key changes in the ASAP model used from the last assessment were in assumptions about M and selectivity, in the introduction of new index time series (including an acoustic survey series for the first time). The sensitivity analyses successfully explained the observed assessment scale difference from 2015. The recruitment estimates from the most recent five years were among the lowest in the time series. This suggests that the short-to-medium term prognosis for the stock is likely to be relatively poor.