The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has scheduled two webinars of the Gag Update Assessment work group to re-run the 2009 gag update assessment to address an incorrect size distribution estimate of undersized caught-and-released fish from the recreational fishery.
The re-run will also address a discrepancy between the estimated dead discards from the commercial gag fishery based on logbook reports and recent estimates of dead discards based on observer data. Re-running the update assessment with adjustments to these inputs may result in a revision to the catch limits needed to rebuild the stock.
The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will review the results of the assessment re-run in January 2011. The Council will review the results along with the SSC recommendations during its meeting in February 2011.
The webinars are scheduled for December 6, 2010 and December 9, 2010. Both will begin at 9 am and conclude no later than 1 pm. During the first webinar, the work group and National Marine Fisheries Service assessment biologists will determine what changes to the assessment inputs are needed. During the second webinar, the work group will review the results of the assessment re-run.
For information on how to register for the webinar, visit the Gulf Council website at www.gulfcouncil.org
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