Operational Assessment of the Black Sea Bass, Scup, Bluefish, and Monkfish Stocks, Updated Through 2018

The 2019 Operational Assessment Review Committee (OARC) met at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA on August 5-7th. The OARC were asked to provide technical reviews of operational assessments for monkfish (Lophius americanus), black sea bass (Centropristis striata), scup (Stenotomus chrysops) and bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix). The assessments for these four species were prepared under guidelines prepared by 2019 Assessment Oversight Panel (AOP). These guidelines provided a structured pathway for transitioning assessments for each species from a previously accepted benchmark assessment to one that incorporates the most recent data and understanding of the biology of the species being assessed. The 2019 Assessment Oversight Panel considered monkfish to be a level 2 assessment and the other three species were considered level 3 assessments. As a result of this designation, the assessments for all four species required peer-review. 2020 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) NEFSC (Northeast Fisheries Science Center) Submitted https://doi.org/10.25923/0wh1-6s87 Public Domain 1863