International workshop on advancing methods to overcome challenges associated with life history and stock assessments of data-poor deep-water snappers and groupers

• Published in: Marine policy Vol. 79; pp. 78 - 83
• Main Authors: Newman, Stephen J., Wakefield, Corey B., Williams, Ashley J., O’Malley, Joseph M., Taylor, Brett M., Nicol, Simon J., Nichols, Ryan S., Hesp, S. Alex, Hall, Norm G., Hill, Nicholas, Ong, Joyce J.L., Andrews, Allen H., Wellington, Claire M., Harvey, Euan S., Mous, Peter, Oyafuso, Zack S., Pardee, Cassandra, Bunce, Michael, DiBattista, Joseph D., Moore, Bradley R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Ageing protocols; Baited remote underwater video; Chronologies; Connectivity; Harvest strategies; Resource poor; Connectivity; Chronologies; Harvest strategies; Ageing protocols; Resource poor; Baited remote underwater video
• ISSN: 0308-597X; 1872-9460
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2017.02.009

Most fisheries for deep-water snappers, groupers and other demersal fishes in many countries and territories throughout the Indo-Pacific are data-poor and/or resource-poor. Current and emerging methods for obtaining important information on life history, ecological assessments, and stock assessments for these deep-water species were discussed at an international workshop in Perth, Western Australia in July 2016. The key issues raised included: (i) the ongoing need to adopt nascent methods for otolith sectioning and interpretation; (ii) the need for standardised international ageing protocols to be documented; (iii) the benefits of investigating otolith chronologies both for age validation and the influence of climate variability on fish populations; (iv) a need to investigate the ecological niches and requirements for deep-water fishes; (v) improved understanding of genetic stock structure/connectivity, diet and gene flow across a range of spatial scales; (vi) the need for an improved understanding of the performance and uncertainty associated with length- and age-based catch curves and spawning potential ratio stock assessments; and (vii) the issues and challenges in developing harvest strategies for deep-water data, and/or resource poor resources. Many new or refined strategic directions for further investigation were identified to resolve uncertainty in monitoring and assessment approaches to contribute toward more rigorous fisheries management arrangements. •Fisheries for deep-water snappers, groupers and other demersal fishes are often data-poor and/or resource-poor.•Current and emerging methods for ecological and fishery assessments of deep-water tropical species were discussed at a workshop in July 2016.•This report summarises the key issues raised during the workshop.•New or refined strategic directions for further investigation were identified to resolve uncertainty in monitoring and assessment approaches.