Recommendations for the use of active acoustics at the Pacific Islands Region

"Active acoustics work at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) commenced in 2004 as a small-scale, ancillary operation to assess the forage-base of economically important fish and protected species in regions of interest, then to develop a fishery-independent method to estimate biomass of a Hawaiian bottomfish stock consisting of six species of lutjanid snappers and a single grouper (the Deep-7 complex), for stock assessment purposes. This document was prepared in the spring of 2018 to provide a summary of knowledge gained and difficulties encountered through the intervening 14 years, and to assess what is needed to produce results that would effectively contribute to the objectives of the Science Center. Focus was placed on bottomfish since the merits of active acoustics were evaluated based on stock assessment, and at the time fisheries independent methodologies for stock assessments were not being considered at the Center. This document was presented to the PIFSC Science Council for review, followed by a brief presentation summarizing its core points. Based on its review focusing on the merits and investments needed to achieve substantial results for Deep-7 stock assessment, the Science Council voted to suspend active acoustic work at the Center on June 26, 2018"--Preface. 2019 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) PIFSC (Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center) Submitted https://doi.org/10.25923/jnn6-rq42 Public Domain 1863