A Standard Method to Apportion Sector Catch to Stock Area

Michael Palmer

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

2

A standard method

A standard method is needed so there is a clear understanding between NMFS and sector managers as to how to correctly apportion sector catch to stock area.

3

A standard method – general principles

• Consistent with the stock apportionment methods used for stock assessments.

• Accounts for varying levels of data completeness (e.g. contingencies exist for missing data).

• Accounts for management uncertainty when data are missing (i.e., applies a precautionary approach to ensure ACEs are not exceeded because of unaccounted ACE removals).

• Should create incentives to promote industry compliance.

4

The need for a precautionary approach

NMFS and sector managers must ensure that individual sector Annual Catch Entitlements (ACEs) are not exceeded for any of the groundfish stocks.

• We have a shared responsibility to ensure that sector management succeeds.

A precautionary approach to quota monitoring will both improve quota monitoring precision and encourage industry compliance.

• Additionally, and equally important, it will reduce:1. the likelihood of exceeding individual sector ACEs; and,2. the likelihood of allocated ACE going unharvested because of

management uncertainty.

5

Overview of methodology

There are three broad types of fishing trips that will occur when monitoring sector catch.

• Trips occurring in a single VMS reporting area (type S)

• Trips occurring in multiple VMS reporting areas (type M)

• Trips where it is unknown whether they occurred in a single reporting area or multiple reporting areas (type U)

6

Overview of methodology (cont.)

For each trip type there are several possible tiers of information availability dependent on reporting compliance.

• Under ideal circumstances, landings and discards will be calculated at tier 1 (both dealer and VTR data are available).

• Tier levels greater than 1 are indicative of some level of non-compliance either on the part of the dealer or the vessel (i.e., data are unavailable for the reporting week).

• In general, the higher the tier number, the greater the degree of uncertainty there will be in accounting for stock landings and discards.

• For each tier, a summary of data sources and information availability are provided and a method is outlined describing what information is to be used to apportion landings to stock area and calculate discards (when a discard rate will be applied).

7

Overview of methodology (cont.)

It is the intent that both NMFS and sector managers would apply this methodology

• Weekly sector reports would report landings and discards broken down by trip type and tier (e.g., S1, M4, U1).

• This would give NMFS the capacity to gauge the level of certainty associated with the overall sector ACE accounting.

• As missing information becomes available in subsequent weeks, landings and discards would be updated and catch accounted for at higher tiers (greater than 1) in previous weeks would be expected to move to lower tiers.

• Large amounts of catch accounted for at higher tier levels would be indicative of a compliance issue warranting closer attention.

8

Overview of methodology (caveats)

The method as currently written does not provide documentation on how discard rates will be estimated and how to apply those discard rates.

• This method only provides guidance on how to calculate the stock-specific Kall component needed in discard estimation (i.e., when discard rates must be applied).

• The discard methods are still under review and will be released later.

9

Overview of methodology (caveats cont.)

In this method, Northeast Fisheries Observer Program observer data, At-Sea Monitor (ASM) data and Dockside-Monitor (DSM) data are considered ancillary and are not used.

• These data will not be available for all trips so they should not be relied on for the purposes of catch apportionment. These data are considered ancillary data.

• Ancillary data can, and should, be used when performing QA/QC and will be an important component of the data reconciliation process.

The amount of groundfish landings retained for home consumption can only be determined from VTR data. Sectors will be responsible for accounting for these removals.

• DSM data could be used to monitor vessel and sector compliance with regards to reporting home consumption landings.

10

Overview of methodology (examples)

Example 1: (Tier M1) Fishing occurred in multiple broad stock reporting areas and both dealer and VTR data are available for a fishing trip.

• Method: Apportion all dealer landings to statistical area(s) based on proportions reported on VTR.

11

Example 1: Tier M1 (from S. Wigley presentation at WS I).• Apportioning dealer landings to stock area using VTR proportions.

12

Example 1: Tier M1 (from S. Wigley presentation at WS I).• Application of Kall to discard rates

13

Overview of methodology (examples)

Example 2: (Tier S4) No dealer report, no VTR, but have received the VMS activity declaration. Since the vessel declared into a single area, there is no VMS catch reports (not required).

• Method: Apply the maximum trip-level groundfish landings by that vessel for all groundfish stocks within that reporting area in the given fishing year. If no landings by that vessel to date apply the maximum trip-level groundfish landings across all sector vessels for that reporting area. (Scenario L3)