"To provide independent expertise in the analysis of Hawaii bottomfish data and development of ideas for bottomfish stock assessment, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center contracted the services of scientists at the Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia (Contract No. JJ133F-06-SE-2510). The UBC group was asked to: review and evaluate bottomfish fishery statistics and biological data; assess the stock relative to biological reference points; recommend ways to improve bottomfish data collection and stock assessment; convene a workshop to review the results; and produce a report of the findings. In September 2006, the contract report was submitted to PIFSC. In 2010 and early 2011, PIFSC researchers completed a new stock assessment of Hawaii bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands, citing the UBC study in several related stock assessment documents. To make the UBC contract report more widely accessible, it is being issued here, as submitted, in the form of a PIFSC Administrative Report. The findings, conclusions and opinions expressed in the contract report are those of the authors as independent investigators and do not necessarily reflect views of PIFSC, the National Marine Fisheries Service or NOAA"--Preface.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

Hawaii