"One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish..." Dr. Seuss
Workshop on Initial Specifications for Atlantic
Bluefin Tuna Operating and Management Procedure Models
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
April 17 - 19th, 2006
The Dr. Seuss Wannabes.
A. Rosenberg (UNH), T. Miller (UNH), R. Brill (VIMS), H. Arrizabalaga (AZTI Tecnalia, Spain),
J. Powers (NOAA-NMFS, LSU), D. Butterworth (UCT, S. Africa), M. Lutcavage (UNH ), J. Sibert
(U Hawai'i, PFRP), A. Cooper (UNH), S. Martell (UBC, Canada), F. Royer (UNH)
The Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has proposed a research plan (Report of the 2005 ICCAT Planning Meeting For Bluefin Tuna Research Madrid, Spain, June 27-30, 2005, SCI-030 / 2005) for the integration of accumulated knowledge on movement of Atlantic bluefin tuna into assessment models and an evaluation of the effectiveness of alternative spatial boundaries and management strategies. The research plan also proposed a schedule for development of the required operating model(s) and management procedures.
In order to facilitate the development of these models, a workshop was hosted at the University of New Hampshire April 17-19, 2006 by the Large Pelagics Research Center. At this workshop we 1) suggested alternative structures for mixing models, 2) developed broad ideas of how model parameters describing movement can be estimated from available data, 3) agreed on data (such as catch, effort, CPUE) that we may use, 4) clarified what resource monitoring data can confidently be assumed to be regularly available in the future and 5) clarified the nature of management decision rules that we will investigate (catch limits, area closures, etc.).
A detailed report of the results of the workshop discussions and activities will be provided to the Atlantic bluefin tuna Working Group at the stock assessment meeting in June and to the SCRS as a whole in the fall of 2006 for further discussion and suggestions for modification. Other modeling activities that ensue over the summer of 2006 will also be reported.
A special thank you to R. Toppin & N. Thompson for all of their help in organizing the meeting.
