The 2008 assessment of the Gulf of Maine Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stock

"The status of the Gulf of Maine Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stock is reviewed, and terminal year VPA estimates of 2007 fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass, and the survivors in 2008 are presented. Precision estimates of the 2007 fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass estimates for Gulf of Maine cod are also provided. The 2008 assessment is based on several sources of information including: the age composition of USA commercial and recreational landings, commercial fishing vessel trip reports (VTR), Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Fishery Observer Program data, MRFSS estimates of recreational harvest, NEFSC and Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) spring and autumn research vessel survey data, and standardized USA commercial fishing effort data. This assessment represents a major revision to the analyses presented in the 2001 assessment of the Gulf of Maine cod stock reviewed at SAW 33 (NEFSC 2001a, b, Mayo et al. 2002) and those reviewed in 2002 at the first Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting (GARM) (NEFSC 2002b) and in 2005 at the 2nd Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting (GARM II) (NEFSC 2005, Mayo and Col 2006). The analyses presented herein were recently reviewed in 2008 at the 3rd Groundfish Assessment Review Meeting (GARM III) (NEFSC 2008)"--Abstract. by R.K. Mayo, G. Shepherd, L. O'Brien, L.A. Col, and M. Traver ; NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center. "February 2009." Includes bibliographical references.