1 Atlantic surfclam Assessment

1.1 Foreword

The Northeast Regional Stock AssessmentWorkshop (SAW) process has three parts: prepa-ration of stock assessments by the SAW WorkingGroups and/or by ASMFC Technical Commit-tees/Assessment Committees; peer review of theassessments by a panel of outside experts whojudge the adequacy of the assessment as a basisfor providing scientific advice to managers; anda presentation of the results and reports to theRegion’s fishery management bodies.

Starting with SAW 39 (June 2004), the processwas revised in two fundamental ways. First, theStock Assessment Review Committee (SARC)became a smaller panel with panelists providedby the Independent System for Peer Review(Center of Independent Experts, (CIE). Sec-ond, the SARC provides little management ad-vice. Instead, Council and Commission teams(e.g., Plan Development Teams, Monitoring andTechnical Committees, Science and StatisticalCommittee) formulate management advice af-ter an assessment has been accepted by theSARC. Starting with SAW 45 (June 2007) theSARC chairs were from external agencies, butnot from the CIE. Starting with SAW 48 (June2009), SARC chairs are from the Fishery Man-agement Council’s Science and Statistical Com-mittee (SSC), and not from the CIE. Also at thistime, some assessment Terms of Reference wererevised to provide additional science support tothe SSCs, as the SSC’s are required to make an-nual ABC recommendations to the fishery man-agement councils.

Reports that are produced followingSAW/SARC meetings include: An AssessmentSummary Report - a summary of the assess-ment results in a format useful to managers;an Assessment Report - a detailed account ofthe assessments for each stock; and the SARCpanelist reports - a summary of the reviewer’s

opinions and recommendations as well as in-dividual reports from each panelist. Both theSAW/SARC assessment reports and the CIEreview reports are available online at http:

//www.nefsc.noaa.gov/saw/reports.html.

The 61st SARC was convened in WoodsHole at the Northeast Fisheries Science Cen-ter (NEFSC), July 19-21, 2016 to review abenchmark stock assessment of Atlantic surf-clam (Spissula solidissima). CIE reviews forSARC61 were based on detailed reports pro-duced by NEFSC Assessment Working Groups.This introduction contains a brief summary ofthe SARC comments, a list of SARC panelists,the meeting agenda, and a list of attendees (Ta-bles 1 - 3). Maps of the Atlantic coast of theUSA and Canada are also provided (Figures 1 -5).

Outcome of Stock Assessment Review Meeting:

Text in this section is based on SARC-61 Re-view Panel reports (available at http://www.

nefsc.noaa.gov/saw/ under the heading “SAW61 Panelist Reports”).

The Atlantic surfclam stock assessment was ac-cepted by the SARC-61 panel. In 2015 over-fishing was not occurring and the stock was notoverfished. Population projections suggest thatthe population is unlikely to become overfishedand that overfishing is unlikely to occur by 2025.Nine of the ten assessment Terms of Referencewere met. The assessment was based on theStock Synthesis III model (SS3). CommercialLPUE values show mostly declining trends, ap-pearing to contradict increasing survey trends.Stock depletion may be real at a local level, butthe limited coverage of the fishery suggests thatthe LPUE trends are not indicative of the stockas a whole.

SAW 61 Assessment Report 1 A. Surfclam Atlantic surfclam Assessment

The Panel endorsed the redefinition of the Bio-logical Reference Points (BRP) based on relativestock status. The new BRPs can be used to pro-vide catch limit advice. The Panel noted that thefishing mortality threshold calculation uses anestimate of FMSY. This value was derived froma simulation study, the details of which were notdiscussed by the Panel at the review meeting.The assessment did not determine whether thesurfclam resource should be considered as one

unit stock throughout the species’ range in USfederal waters or if regional stocks should be rec-ognized. However, not meeting this ToR didnot impact the overall acceptability of the as-sessment.

Due to the importance of the clam survey inthis assessment, the Panel recommends cautionin making any changes to the gear and surveyvessel.

Table 1: 61st Stock Assessment Review Committee Panel.

SARC Chairman (MAFMC SSC):

Dr. Michael WilbergUniversity of MarylandEmail: wilberg@umces.edu

SARC Panelists (CIE):

Dr. Coby NeedleSea Fisheries Programme ManagerMarine Scotland - Science, Marine LaboratoryAberdeen, UKEmail: C.Needle@MARLAB.AC.UK

Dr. Michael BellResearch AssociateInternational Centre for Island Technology, Heriot-Watt UniversityOrkney, UKEmail: M.C.Bell@hw.ac.uk

Dr. Martin CryerScience Manager, Aquatic EnvironmentMinistry for Primary IndustriesWellington, NZEmail: martin.cryer@mpi.govt.nz

SAW 61 Assessment Report 2 A. Surfclam 1.1 Foreword

Table 2: Agenda, 61st Stock Assessment Review Committee Meeting.

July 19-21, 2016

Stephen H. Clark Conference Room Northeast Fisheries Science CenterWoods Hole, Massachusetts

AGENDA1 (version: 7/7/2016)

TIME TOPIC PRESENTER(S) RAPPORTEUR

Tuesday, July 19

10 10:30 AMWelcome James Weinberg,

SAW ChairIntroduction Michael

Wilberg, SARCChair

AgendaConduct of Meeting

10:30 12:30 PM Assessment Presentation (A.Surfclam)

Dan Hennen Michele Traver

12:30 1:30 PM Lunch

1:30 3:30 PM Assessment Presentation (A.Surfclam)

Dan Hennen Michele Traver

3:30 3:45 PM Break

3:45 5:45 PM SARC Discussion w/ Presenters(A. Surfclam)

MichaelWilberg, SARC

Chair

Michele Traver

5:45 6 PM Public Comments

7 PM (Social Gathering)

SAW 61 Assessment Report 3 A. Surfclam 1.1 Foreword

Table 2 cont.

TIME TOPIC PRESENTER(S) RAPPORTEUR

Wednesday, July 20

9:00 10:45 Revisit with Presenters (A.Surfclam)

MichaelWilberg, SARC

Chair

Toni Chute

10:45 - 11 Break

11 11:45 Revisit with Presenters (A.Surfclam)

MichaelWilberg, SARC

Chair

Toni Chute

11:45 Noon Public Comments

12 1:15 PM Lunch

1:15 4 PM Review/Edit AssessmentSummary Report (A. Surfclam)

MichaelWilberg, SARC

Chair

Toni Chute

4 4:15 PM Break

4:15 5:00 PM SARC Report writing

Thursday, July 21

9:00 AM 5:00 PM SARC Report writing

SAW 61 Assessment Report 4 A. Surfclam 1.1 Foreword

Table 3: 61st SAW/SARC, List of Attendees.

NAME AFFILIATION EMAILMichael Wilberg University of Maryland - CES wilberg@umces.eduCoby Needle Marine Scotland Science, Marine Lab-Aberdeen C.Needle@MARLAB.AC.UKMike Bell Heriot-Watt University Intl Centre for Island Tech M.C.Bell@hw.ac.ukMartin Cryer Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington Martin.Cryer@mpi.govt.nzRuss Brown NEFSC Russell.brown@noaa.govJim Weinberg NEFSC james.weinberg@noaa.govLarry Jacobson NEFSC larry.jacobson@noaa.govDan Hennen NEFSC Daniel.hennen@noaa.govJessica Coakley MAFMC jcoakley@mafmc.orgMike Simpkins NEFSC Michael.simpkins@noaa.govChris Legault NEFSC chris.legault@noaa.govSheena Steiner NEFSC sheena.steiner@noaa.govMichele Traver NEFSC Michele.traver@noaa.govToni Chute NEFSC toni.chute@noaa.govMark Terceiro NEFSC mark.terceiro@noaa.govTom Hoff Wallace & Associates tbhoff@verizon.netDaphne Munroe Rutgers University dmunroe@hsrl.rutgers.eduTom Alspach Sea Watch International talspach@goeaston.netEric Powell University of Southern Mississippi eric.n.powell@usm.eduBob Glenn Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries Robert.glenn@state.ma.usD.H. Wallace Wallace & Associates DHWallace@aol.comDoug Potts NMFS/GARFO douglas.potts@noaa.govWendy Gabriel NEFSC wendy.gabriel@noaa.govJon Deroba NEFSC jonathan.deroba@noaa.govCharles Perretti NEFSC Charles.perretti@noaa.gov

SAW 61 Assessment Report 5 A. Surfclam 1.1 Foreword

Figure 1: Offshore depth strata that have been sampled during Northeast FisheriesScience Center bottom trawl research surveys. Some of these may not be sampledpresently.

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Figure 2: Inshore depth strata that have been sampled during Northeast Fisheries Sci-ence Center bottom trawl research surveys. Some of these may not be sampled presently.

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Figure 3: Depth strata sampled during Northeast Fisheries Science Center clam dredgeresearch surveys.

SAW 61 Assessment Report 12 A. Surfclam 1.1 Foreword

Figure 4: Statistical areas used for reporting commercial catches.

SAW 61 Assessment Report 13 A. Surfclam 1.1 Foreword

Figure 5: Catch reporting areas of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization(NAFO).

SAW 61 Assessment Report 14 A. Surfclam 1.1 Foreword