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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.
This report was supported by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
COMMITTEE ON IMPROVING THE COLLECTION AND USE OF FISHERIES DATA
PATRICK SULLIVAN (Chair),
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
KENNETH ABLE,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
CYNTHIA JONES,
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
KAREN M. KAYE,
U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
BARBARA KNUTH,
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
BRENDA NORCROSS,
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
ESTELLE RUSSEK-COHEN,
University of Maryland, College Park
JOHN SIBERT,
University of Hawaii, Manoa
STEPHEN SMITH,
Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
STEVEN K. THOMPSON,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
RICHARD YOUNG,
Commercial Fisherman, Crescent City, California
Consultant
JOHN G. POPE,
NRC (Europe), Ltd.
Staff
EDWARD R. URBAN, JR., Study Director
ANN CARLISLE, Senior Project Assistant
OCEAN STUDIES BOARD
KENNETH BRINK, (Chair),
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
ARTHUR BAGGEROER,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
DANIEL BROMLEY,
University of Wisconsin, Madison
OTIS BROWN,
University of Miami, Florida
JAMES COLEMAN,
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
CORTIS COOPER,
Chevron Petroleum Technology, San Ramon, California
G. BRENT DALRYMPLE,
Oregon State University, Corvallis
EARL DOYLE,
Shell Oil (retired), Sugar Land, Texas
D. JAY GRIMES,
University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs
RAY HILBORN,
University of Washington, Seattle
EDWARD HOUDE,
University of Maryland, Solomons
CINDY LEE,
State University of New York, Stony Brook
ROGER LUKAS,
University of Hawaii, Manoa
NANCY MARCUS,
Florida State University, Tallahassee
BONNIE MCCAY,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
RAM MOHAN,
Gahagan & Bryant Associates, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland
SCOTT NIXON,
University of Rhode Island, Narragansett
NANCY RABALAIS,
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin
WALTER SCHMIDT,
Florida Geological Survey, Tallahassee
PAUL TOBIN,
Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, Fairfax, Virginia
KARL TUREKIAN,
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Staff
MORGAN GOPNIK, Director
EDWARD R. URBAN, JR., Senior Program Officer
DAN WALKER, Senior Program Officer
ALEXANDRA ISERN, Program Officer
SUSAN ROBERTS, Program Officer
ROBIN MORRIS, Administrative Associate
SHIREL SMITH, Office Manager
SHARI MAGUIRE, Research Assistant
ANN CARLISLE, Senior Project Assistant
JODI BACHIM, Project Assistant
MEGAN KELLY, Project Assistant
COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES
GEORGE M. HORNBERGER (Chair),
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
RICHARD A. CONWAY,
Union Carbide Corporation (retired), S. Charleston, West Virginia
LYNN GOLDMAN,
Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
THOMAS J. GRAFF,
Environmental Defense, Oakland, California
EUGENIA KALNAY,
University of Maryland, College Park
DEBRA KNOPMAN,
Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.
BRAD MOONEY,
J. Brad Mooney Associates, Ltd., Arlington, Virginia
HUGH C. MORRIS,
El Dorado Gold Corporation, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
H. RONALD PULLIAM,
University of Georgia, Athens
MILTON RUSSELL,
Joint Institute for Energy and Environment and University of Tennessee (emeritus), Knoxville
ROBERT J. SERAFIN,
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
ANDREW R. SOLOW,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
E-AN ZEN,
University of Maryland, College Park
Staff
ROBERT M. HAMILTON, Executive Director
GREGORY H. SYMMES, Associate Executive Director
JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative and Financial Officer
SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate
Acknowledgments
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council's (NRC) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: John Bailar (University of Chicago), Deb Southworth Green (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), David Hoel (Medical University of South Carolina), Pete Leipzig (Fishermen' s Marketing Association), Douglas Lipton (University of Maryland), Bonnie McCay (Rutgers University), Kenneth Pollock (North Carolina State University), Terrance Quinn (University of Alaska, Fairbanks), Jake Rice (Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans), David Sampson (Oregon State University), Larry Six (Consultant), and Andrew Solow (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). While the individuals listed above provided constructive comments and suggestions, it must be emphasized that responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
Preface
Congress has promoted fisheries science for over a century and its involvement in fisheries management took a great leap forward with passage of the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976. In the past decade, Congress has requested advice from the National Research Council (NRC) on both national issues (e.g., individual fishing quotas and community development quotas) and the assessments related to specific fisheries (Northeast groundfish). This report was produced, in part, in response to another congressional request, this time related to the assessments of the summer flounder stocks along the East Coast of the United States. Following the initial request, the NRC, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and congressional staff agreed to broaden the study into a more comprehensive review of marine fisheries data collection, management, and use.
National Research Council reviews of stock assessments result in unexpected tasks added to other responsibilities of stock assessment scientists and other NMFS personnel. The committee sent numerous questions to NMFS over the period of its study and NMFS was always responsive to the requests. Special thanks are due to David Sutherland, the committee's liaison at NMFS, and to Mark Terceiro, the stock assessment scientist responsible for summer flounder, who handled many queries from the committee. Mark also attended two of the committee 's meetings to answer questions about the intricacies of summer flounder assessments and how the different data sources are used. Other NMFS personnel—particularly William Fox, Mark Holliday, and Maury Osborn —were also helpful in the committee's work and the committee greatly appreciates their efforts. The committee thanks Karl Haflinger (SeaState, Inc.) and Bill Karp (NMFS) for providing figures for the report. The committee was fortunate to be able to engage John Pope as a consultant to the project and to enlist the help of Bob Mohn of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans in assisting with the committee's analysis of summer flounder data. The committee could not have met its charge without substantial input from representatives of the commercial fishing industry, recreational fisheries sector, environmental advocacy groups, and others. Finally, the committee thanks Ed Urban and Ann Carlisle of the Ocean Studies Board staff for their support in carrying out this project.
Patrick Sullivan
Chair