Stock Assessment Form Small Pelagics 2012
[A brief abstract may be added here]

Stock Assessment Form version 0.9

Uploader: Miguel Bernal

Stock assessment form

1	Basic Identification Data	2

2	Stock identification and biological information	2

2.1	Stock unit	2

2.2	Growth and maturity	2

3	Fisheries information	2

3.1	Description of the fleet	2

3.2	Historical trends	2

3.3	Management regulations	2

3.4	Reference points	2

4	Fisheries independent information	2

4.1	{NAME OF THE DIRECT METHOD}	2

4.1.1	Brief description of the chosen method and assumptions used	2

4.1.2	Spatial distribution of the resources	2

4.1.3	Historical trends	2

5	Ecological information	2

5.1	Protected species potentially affected by the fisheries	2

5.2	Environmental indexes	2

6	Stock Assessment	2

6.1	{Name of the Model}	2

6.1.1	Model assumptions	2

6.1.2	Scripts	2

6.1.3	Results	2

6.2	Robustness analysis	2

6.3	Assessment quality	2

7	Stock predictions	2

7.1	Short term predictions	2

7.2	Medium term predictions	2

7.3	Long term predictions	2

8	Draft scientific advice	2

Basic Identification Data

Scientific name:	Common name:	ISCAAP Group:
1st Geographical sub-area:	2nd Geographical sub-area:	3rd Geographical sub-area:
1st Country	2nd Country	3rd Country
Stock assessment method: (direct, indirect, combined, none)
Authors:
Affiliation:

The ISSCAAP code is assigned according to the FAO 'International Standard Statistical Classification for Aquatic Animals and Plants' (ISSCAAP) which divides commercial species into 50 groups on the basis of their taxonomic, ecological and economic characteristics. This can be provided by the GFCM secretariat if needed. A list of groups can be found here:

http://www.fao.org/fishery/collection/asfis/en

Direct methods (you can choose more than one):

Acoustics survey

Egg production survey

Trawl survey

Indirect method (you can choose more than one):

ICA

VPA

LCA

AMCI

XSA

Biomass models

Length based models

Other (please specify)

Combined method: you can choose both a direct and an indirect method and the name of the combined method (if it does exist)

Stock identification and biological information

Specify whether the assessment is considered to cover a complete stock unit. If the stock unit limits are more or less known, but for technical reasons the assessment only covers part of the stock (e.g. a GSA area but stock spreads to other GSAs), explain the state of the art of the stock unit knowledge. If there are doubts about the stock unit, state them here. If there is knowledge on migration rates between different stock units, that affect the stock state them here.

Stock unit

Growth and maturity

Incorporate different tables if there are different maturity ogives (e.g. catch and survey). Also incorporate figures with the ogives if appropriate. Modify the table caption to identify the origin of the data (catches, survey).

Table 2.21:Maximum size, size at first maturity and size at recruitment.

Somatic magnitude measured (LH, LC, etc)*	Units*
Sex	Fem	Mal	Both	Unsexed
Maximum size observed	Reproduction season
Size at first maturity	Reproduction areas
Recruitment size	Nursery areas

Table 2.22: Growth and length weight model parameters

Sex
Units	female	male	both	unsexed
Growth model	L∞
K
t0
Data source
Length weight relationship	a
b
M (vector by length or age)
sex ratio (% females/total)

Fisheries information

Description of the fleet

This information should be consistent with the information provided in Task 1. In later versions of the stock assessment form, the tables will be pre-filled with the information from Task 1 and participants have to check for differences and report them. Also the SCSI recommends that fishing gears of the different operational units are described in detail (e.g. mesh size, etc.)

Same codes as in previous assessment forms should be used.

Table 3.11: Description of operational units in the stock

Country	GSA	Fleet Segment	Fishing Gear Class	Group of Target Species	Species
Operational Unit 1*
Operational Unit 2
Operational Unit 3
Operational Unit 4
Operational Unit 5

Table 3.12: Catch, bycatch, discards and effort by operational unit

Operational Units*	Fleet (n° of boats)*	Kilos or Tons	Catch (species assessed)	Other species caught	Discards (species assessed)	Discards (other species caught)	Effort units
Total

Table 3.13: Catches as used in the assessment

Classification	Catch (tn)
Total

Historical trends

Figure with the observed trends in catches, fishing capacity or effort

Management regulations

List current and past (recent) management regulations that affect the different operational fleets and/or the whole fishery

Reference points

Table 3.41: List of reference points

Criterion	Current value	Units	Reference Point	Trend	Comments
B
SSB
F
Y
CPUE

Fisheries independent information

{NAME OF THE DIRECT METHOD}

Fill in one section for each of the direct methods used. The name of the section should be the name of the direct method used.

Brief description of the chosen method and assumptions used

Description of the method and assumptions used. One of several tables would have to be chosen: Egg Production Method, Acoustic survey, Trawl.

Direct methods: DEPM

Table 4.11: Egg production cruise information.

Date
Cruise	R/V
Total area (km2)	Positive	Negative
Egg sampler
Adult sampler

Table 4.12: Parameters of the egg mortality curve

Parameters (exponential decay model)	value	CV
P0 (# of eggs /0.05 m2)
Z (days-1)
Temperature range	ºC	ºC

Table 4.13: DEPM Model parameters

Model parameters	value	CV
P0 (# of eggs/0.05 m2 per day)
A (surface of region 0.05 m2)
W (average female weight in gr)
F (batch fecundity: eggs / batch per mature female)
S (spawning fraction: # spawning female per mature female)
R (sex ratio: females/total)

Table 4.14: DEPM based estimates

Result	value	CV
Biomass (t)

Direct methods: acoustics

Specify if numbers are per km2 or raised to the area, assuming the same catchability .

Specify the ageing method or the age slicing procedure applied, specify the maturity scale used.

In case maturity ogive has not been estimated by year, report information for groups of years.

Table 4.15: Acoustic cruise information.

Date
Cruise	R/V
Target species
Sampling strategy
Sampling season
Investigated depth range (m)
Echo-sounder
Fish sampler
Cod –end mesh size as opening (mm)
ESDU (i.e. 1 nautical mile)
TS (Target Strength)/species
Software used in the post-processing
Samples (gear used)
Biological data obtained
Age slicing method
Maturity ogive used

Table 4.16: Acoustic results, if available by age or length class

Biomass in metric tons	fish numbers	Nautical Area Scattering Coefficient	Indicator …	Indicator …

Spatial distribution of the resources

Include maps with the results of the direct method distribution

Historical trends

Figure with the observed trends in abundance, abundance by age class, etc. for each of the directed methods used.

Table with the raw data used for the figures above should also be provided and revised yearly.

Ecological information

Protected species potentially affected by the fisheries

A list of protected species that can be potentially affected by the fishery should be incorporated here. This should also be completed with the potential effect and if available an associated value (e.g. bycatch of these species in tn)

Environmental indexes

If any environmental index is used as i) a proxy for recruitment strength, ii) a proxy for carrying capacity, or any other index that is incorporated in the assessment, then it should be included here.

Other environmental indexes that are considered important for the fishery (e.g. that may affect catchability, etc.) can be reported here.

Stock Assessment

In this section there will be one subsection for each different model used, and also different model assumptions runs should be documented when all are presented as alternative assessment options.

{Name of the Model}

Model assumptions

Scripts

If an script is available which incorporates the stock assessment run (e.g. if using FLR in R) it should be provided here in order to create a library of scripts.

Results

Historical figures of SSB, Recruitment, F or other outcomes of the stock assessment model

Robustness analysis

Retrospective analysis, comparison between model runs, etc.

Assessment quality

Stability of the assessment, evaluation of quality of the data and reliability of model assumptions.

Stock predictions

When an analytical assessment exist, predictions should be attempted. All scenarios tested (recruitment and/or fishing mortality) should be reported. The source of information/model used to predict recruitment should be documented.

Short term predictions

Medium term predictions

Long term predictions

Draft scientific advice

This section should provide with required text to explain the draft scientific advice, as well as tick a mark on the values in Table 8.1 and/or 8.2 that best represent the status of the stock.

Table 7.31: Unidimensional stock status (choose one)

Unidimnsional
Not known or uncertain. Not much information is available to make a judgment; Underexploited, undeveloped or new fishery. Believed to have a significant potential for expansion in total production; Moderately exploited, exploited with a low level of fishing effort. Believed to have some limited potential for expansion in total production; Fully exploited. The fishery is operating at or close to an optimal yield level, with no expected room for further expansion; Overexploited. The fishery is being exploited at above a level which is believed to be sustainable in the long term, with no potential room for further expansion and a higher risk of stock depletion/collapse; Depleted. Catches are well below historical levels, irrespective of the amount of fishing effort exerted; Recovering. Catches are again increasing after having been depleted or a collapse from a previous; None of the above.

Table 7.32: Bidimensional stock status

Bidimensional	Exploitation rate	Stock Abundance

Please note the two new definitions provided by the SAC:

Overfished (or overexploited) - A stock is considered to be overfished when its abundance is below an agreed biomass based reference target point, like B0.1 or BMSY. To apply this denomination, it should be assumed that the current state of the stock (in biomass) arises from the application of excessive fishing pressure in previous years. This classification is independent of the current level of fishing mortality.

Stock subjected to overfishing (or overexploitation) - A stock is subjected to overfishing if the fishing mortality applied to it exceeds the one it can sustainably stand, for a longer period. In other words, the current fishing mortality exceeds the fishing mortality that, if applied during a long period, under stable conditions, would lead the stock abundance to the reference point of the target abundance (either in terms of biomass or numbers)