The Bluefish Research Track Working Group will meet on Thursday, July 29, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This is one in a series of working group meetings associated with the Bluefish Research Track Assessment.
Meeting Details
Please visit the Bluefish Working Group page on the NOAA Fisheries website for an agenda and webinar connection details (Click on “Day 1” under the Schedule heading). This meeting is open to the public. Information on past and future working group meetings can also be found on the Bluefish Working Group page.
Background Information
Research track assessments evaluate new datasets that can either inform or be used in new or existing stock assessment models. Unlike management track assessments, which are driven by the need to meet specific management timelines, research track assessments are carried out over longer time frames and with fewer requirements for using the most recent data. The research track is intended to be the opportunity for extensive and comprehensive research and analysis.
Working groups carry out the analytical work required for the stock assessment, including developing and implementing the research plan and terms of reference, conducting the necessary research, compiling the results to inform the research track effort, and incorporating other information and public input as appropriate.
What Happens Next?
After the working group has completed its work, a peer review panel will be convened to conduct a comprehensive review of the research track assessment.
Typically, research track outputs are incorporated into future management track assessments (as opposed to directly informing management decisions). For this reason, research track assessments are often scheduled to have management track assessments in the following year, which ensures immediate application of the research results with the inclusion of the most recent data in a management track assessment.