North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Plan Team for the Groundfish Fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska

The demersal shelf rockfish (DSR) complex (yelloweye, quillback, copper, rosethorn, China, canary, and tiger rockfish) is assessed on a triennial cycle, with a full stock assessment typically conducted every third year. Historically, the stock assessment was based on relative abundance estimates from a manned submersible (Delta) and transitioned to a remote operated vehicle (ROV) in 2012. The recommended acceptable biological catch (ABC) and overfishing level (OFL) for this year’s assessment are based on the most recent ROV density estimates of yelloweye rockfish in each management area using the methodology described in Brylinsky et al. (2009). The results of a preliminary statistical age-structured assessment model (ASA) that incorporates submersible, and ROV yelloweye rockfish density estimates, commercial, sport, and subsistence fishery data, and International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) survey data are not presented this year due to personnel changes. The ASA will be presented in full in 2020; updates to the assessment inputs are for the status quo methodology are presented here.

Stock Assessment