SEDAR Update Policies and Procedures,

Assessment Classifications, &

SEDAR 26 Activities

Prepared for the June 2011 Caribbean Council Meeting

Julie A Neer

SouthEast Data, Assessment, and Review

Cooperative Stock Assessment Development and Review Program of:

NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Caribbean Fishery Management Council Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Division

SEDAR Policies and ProceduresRevised May 2011

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• Administration and Oversight (including SEDAR Staff Responsibilities and Cooperator Obligations)

• SEDAR Panel Participant and Appointment Process

• Public Participation• SEDAR Approach:

- Workshop Process- Workshop Documentation and Dissemination- Science Based Decision Making

• SEDAR Assessment Classifications• SEDAR Workshop Details • Role of the SSCs • Relation to State Agencies • NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species

Division

SEDAR Policies and ProceduresRevised May 2011

Provide robust and transparent assessments

Provide stakeholder involvement in the assessment

process

Provide reliable and scientifically rigorous

assessments

Provide independent peer review of assessment

products

Provide timely assessment products

Provide thorough documentation of methods and

data

Provide appropriate consistency in documentation,

assessment approaches, and treatment of

uncertainties

SEDAR Program Goals

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SEDAR Assessment Classifications

Benchmark Assessment

Standard Assessment

Update Assessment

• Required for the first assessment of a species; may be repeated for significant issue

• Involve a three-part workshop process: data, assessment, and review• Reviewed by an independent review panel

• Basic benchmark framework is utilized for the update• Restricted, for the most part, to incorporation of additional years of observations

to those datasets incorporated in the prior assessment• Assessment conducted by analytic team “in-house” – e.g. no workshops• Reviewed by SSC

• Update prior assessments with recent information and address issues supported by new data or other advancements as feasible within the approved benchmark model approach

• New model classifications may not be developed• One workshop, with webinars and conference calls as needed• Reviewed by SSC

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SEDAR Assessment Classifications

• All assessment categories utilize Terms of Reference to guide the process

• Councils and SSCs are involved in discussion of assigning assessment type and developing Terms of Reference

• Standard and Update assessment categories require an approved Benchmark assessment to build on

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SEDAR 26:Silk Snapper, Queen Snapper & Redtail Parrotfish

Benchmark Assessment

Data Workshop (May 2011 – St. Croix)

Assessment Workshop (July 2011 – St. Thomas)

Review Workshop (October 2011 – Puerto Rico)

During benchmark assessments all datasets and decisions are evaluated. Multiple models are evaluated, with the goal of working down to one model ‘package’ that will be applied to develop management advice and determine stock status.

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SEDAR 26 DATA WORKSHOP

• May 16-20, 2011

• Carambola Resort, St. Croix

• 22 Participants

• Industry Representatives

• Territorial agencies

• SEFSC Analysts

• NMFS Regional Office

• Council representation

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Data workshop panelists shall assemble and critique all available fishery data, monitoring programs, and life history information.

Data Workshop Tasks & Goals

• Data workshops may be structured around working groups devoted to primary data areas

• Working groups review data, working papers, reference documents, and other information

• Develop recommendations, for consideration by the workshop panel, on analyses, assumptions, and data for inclusion in the assessment

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All decisions of the data workshop are made during the plenary sessions by consensus of the entire membership.

Data Workshop Tasks & Goals

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Data Workshop Wrap-up

• Data Workshop Report • Data Panel/Assessment Panel

Webinar• 1 July 2011

• Report Due for completion:• Mid July

Overall very productive meeting

Data continues to be main hurdle to assessments but is improving

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SEDAR 26 Assessment Workshop

Scheduled for July 26 – 29, 2011Wyndham Sugar Bay – St. Thomas

• The assessment process is conducted through both a workshop and webinars

• Assessment process panelists shall develop assessment models to estimate population parameters and management benchmarks, and evaluate uncertainties

• Assessment workshop is chaired by SEDAR Coordinator

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SEDAR 26 Assessment Workshop

Scheduled for July 26 – 29, 2011Wyndham Sugar Bay – St. Thomas

• The assessment panel is a technical body, consisting of the analytical team and other scientists appointed by the Council

• Panelists include scientists from: SEFSC, territorial agencies, Universities, and SSC members

• The Council also appointed observers to provide guidance on industry practices

• Appointed observers are not members of the workshop panel and are not involved in the consensus decisions of the panel

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SEDAR 26 Review Workshop

Scheduled for October 17 – 21, 2011El Convento – Old San Juan

The intent of the review is to provide an independent peer review and ensure that the assessment and results presented are scientifically sound and that decision makers are provided adequate advice that reflects uncertainties in the data and methods.

The review panel shall not provide specific management advice. Review panel recommendations are advisory in nature.

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SEDAR 26 Review Workshop

Scheduled for October 17 – 21, 2011El Convento – Old San Juan

Review workshop panels shall be composed of:• 3 reviewers appointed by the CIE (Center

for Independent Experts),• 2 reviewers from the SSC• Optionally, 1 additional scientific reviewer

appointed by the CouncilReview workshops are typically chaired by a member of the Council’s SSC

Chairs are facilitators, not reviewers

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What’s Next?

2012 Benchmark assessment for White Grunt, Blue Tang, and Queen Triggerfish

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Alternate Approach to ObtainingFisherman Input

Often difficult to obtain information from fishers

Participation at Data Workshops is very useful when fishers attend

Unfortunately, even with travel support some still choose not to attend

Fisheries may be platform specific, even for same species

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Alternate Approach to ObtainingFisherman Input

Proposed plan is to spend ~one day on each island

Island Hopping for Fisher Input

Meetings announced in Federal Register and SEDAR works with Council Staff to get the word out

Small group of key SEFSC scientists and a SEDAR Coordinator travel between Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Croix holding public meetings

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Alternate Approach to ObtainingFisherman Input

Analysts and fishers discuss topics such as fishery characteristics, changes to fishery over time, biological information (length data), etc.

Island Hopping for Fisher Input

Scientific staff use information gathered to prepare working papers incorporating fisher input prior to assessment workshop

Individual island meetings will largely replace data workshop

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Alternate Approach to ObtainingFisherman Input

Island Hopping for Fisher Input

Limited data availability means not much input is needed from fishers

Believe we can get what we need from the concentrated meetings

Hopefully ensures participation from each platform Cost and time effective

Will this work?

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2012 Timing?

???Tentative schedule:• Data Island hopping – Summer 2012• DW/AW workshop – Fall 2012• Review – Early 2013

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Questions?

Julie A. Neer

Julie.neer@safmc.net

(843) 571-4366

http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/sedar/