NOAA Fisheries conducts stock assessments to provide fundamental scientific advice in support of sustainable fisheries management. Managers use the results of stock assessments, along with other information, to establish catch targets and limits that strive to maximize yield while ensuring that overfishing does not occur and stocks do not become overfished. While NOAA Fisheries is currently achieving quality stock assessments across the country, there are increasing demands and challenges facing NOAA’s stock assessment programs. This document provides a summary of NOAA’s Next Generation Stock Assessment (NGSA) framework, which is an update to the 2001 Stock Assessment Improvement Plan (SAIP).

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