The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has begun work on the next black drum benchmark stock assessment and is now requesting data from academia, member states, federal partners, participating jurisdictions and stakeholders. A data workshop will occur in December 2021.
The ASMFC said it welcomes the submission of data sources that will improve the accuracy of the assessment including data on abundance (fishery-independent survey catch rates, fishery-dependent catch per unit effort), biological samples (lengths, ages, weights), and life history information (growth, maturity, natural mortality, movement and migration). For data sets to be considered, the data must be sent in the required format with accompanying description of methods to Jeff Kipp, Senior Stock Assessment Scientist, at jkipp@asmfc.org by October 29, 2021. For more information about the assessment or the submission and presentation of materials, contact Savannah Lewis, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at slewis@asmfc.org or 703-842-0740.
ASMFC also announced that in advance of the upcoming bluefish research track stock assessment to be conducted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Bluefish Working Group, the commission will be holding a State Data Review Workshop on November 3-4, 2021. At this workshop, the Bluefish Technical Committee (TC) will review state data sets that could support the assessment, including fishery-independent surveys, fishery-dependent sampling programs, and life history studies. The TC will develop a report summarizing the available data sets and make recommendations for the Bluefish Working Group.
As part of this data review, the ASMFC is also welcoming data submissions from stakeholders and the public; data sources include, but are not limited to, data on recreational and commercial landings and discards, catch per unit effort, biological samples (age, length, and/or sex), and life history information (growth, maturity, fecundity, spawning stock biomass weights, natural mortality).
ASMFC is also interested in socioeconomic data or analyses, especially those related to recreational bluefish demand. Tackle shop representatives or members of the for-hire community interested in having “data sets” considered at the workshop should send with accompanying methods description to Dr. Katie Drew kdrew@asmfc.org by October 25, 2021.
For more information on submitting bluefish data, including the appropriate format, and/or attending the upcoming virtual Workshop, please contact Dustin Colson Leaning, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at dleaning@asmfc.org or 703-842-0740.
