Assessment of the rougheye and blackspotted rockfish stock complex in the Gulf of Alaska GOA Chapter 13

The scheduled frequency for some stock assessments was recently changed in response to the National Stock Assessment Prioritization effort (Methot 2015; Hollowed et al. 2016). In previous years, all Gulf of Alaska (GOA) rockfish stocks were assessed on a biennial stock assessment schedule to coincide with the availability of new survey data. There was no change in this schedule for the rougheye and blackspotted (RE/BS) rockfish complex. For this on-cycle (odd) year, we present a full stock assessment document with updated assessment and projection model results to recommend harvest levels for the next two years. In off-cycle (even) years, we will present a partial assessment consisting of an executive summary with recent fishery catch and survey trends as well as recommend harvest levels for the next two years. We use a statistical age-structured model as the primary assessment tool for the Gulf of Alaska rougheye and blackspotted (RE/BS) rockfish complex which qualifies as a Tier 3 stock. This assessment consists of a population model, which uses survey and fishery data to generate a historical time series of population estimates, and a projection model, which uses results from the population model to predict future population estimates and recommended harvest levels. The data sets used in this assessment include total catch biomass, fishery age and size compositions, trawl and longline survey abundance estimates, trawl survey age compositions, and longline survey size compositions. For this assessment year, we use the last full assessment base model from 2015. 2017 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) Submitted Public Domain 1863