Barss highlighted portions of the CARE report (Attachment B) provided by the new CARE chair, Cal Blood. Otolith exchanges were done on Pacific halibut between ADFG and IPHC, and on Pacific mackerel between CDFG and ODFW. The Cooperative Ageing Unit of ODFW/NWFSC met several times with AFSC staff in Seattle for training and exchange of sablefish test samples. Staff from CDFG and ODFW met in Eureka for a Dover sole workshop. A pelagic fish ageing workshop was held in Seattle and attended by staff from CDFG, ODFW, and WDFW.

Jagielo said that exchanges are very useful and that a CARE-sponsored exchange of lingcod spines between DFO, WDFW, and SWFSC (Tiburon) would be helpful to the lingcod assessment work.

Saunders asked about training of new sablefish agers. He noted that DFO has implemented the following new requirements for production agers: ageing of sablefish will not be assigned to those who infrequently age sablefish and a second, independent reading will be done on all otoliths initially aged under 15 years. Saunders would like DFO included in sablefish otolith exchanges.

Methot described the Cooperative Ageing Unit’s assignments and training. He reported hiring three new agers who will concentrate on sablefish, but will also age some Dover sole.

Wilkins reminded members that TSC has yet to receive the final report on the 1996 CARE meeting.

Three recommendations from CARE to the TSC were discussed. The first requested clarification of how stock assessment scientists and biometricians utilize data generated from precision testing. This information will be provided to the CARE by Methot. The other two concerned publication of the CARE manual and what agency might host a web site that could include, among other things, the ageing manual and threaded discussions. Saunders reported that the CARE manual is nearly done, but needs a little polishing, especially with regard to the photographs. He will provide copies to all agencies. Methot proposed that CARE be added to the PSMFC web site. Butler suggested that otolith images could be added. The support for both a TSC and CARE presence on the PSMFC web site was discussed.

Saunders gave a verbal report on Pacific whiting. Saunders and Martin Dorn (NMFS, AFSC) are exchanging data for use in the 1997 assessment. Last year’s estimates on range of potential yield agreed on then upper end but disagreed on the lower end. The process to estimate yield is expected to change, with both Saunders and Dorn agreeing on yield estimates and thus providing the same technical work to their respective governments for review and possible revision. The result should be a higher level of coordination. Methot expressed support for a coordinated assessment that would result in one document for review.

TSC notes that formal negotiations between U.S. and Canada on Pacific whiting did not occur during 1996.

Research continues to determine an acceptable target strength. This is a contentious issue and researchers are meeting every 6 months.

Jagielo reported on the Lingcod Stock Assessment Workshop held March 20-21, 1997 in Olympia, WA. There was a good review of information on lingcod including modeling ideas. Both DFO and WDFW have aged data covering 15 years. Jagielo proposed that CARE be asked to include lingcod as a focus species and volunteered to prepare a set of structures for an ageing exchange between WDFW, DFO, and SWFSC-Tiburon.

O’Connell stated that ADFG continues to use cleared otoliths to age lingcod, rather than spines. The number of lingcod aged from Alaska is small at this time. She would like an exchange to include both otoliths and spines.

Jagielo said spines show that the size at age has decreased since the early 1980's. He would like to determine if this is the result of changes in fish growth or age determinations. He notes that WDFW lingcod ageing indicates a strong 1984 year class while DFO ageing shows a strong 1985 year class. These issues reflect the need for coordination of age reading criteria via CARE.

Saunders suggested that the TSC commend Jagielo for his interest in lingcod issues and his persistence in successfully hosting this productive workshop.

Saunders reported that WDFW and DFO are cooperating and developing new assessment models. They may be looking at a younger age composition. The Area 3C stock is seen by WDFW as having a low yield which could impact bycatch from the Pacific whiting fishery. Jagielo added that the WDFW assessment is being redone in advance of the normal three-year stock assessment cycle because of concerns about the stock’s status and the availability of new data. Barss reported that ODFW has increased their sampling of yellowtail rockfish bycatch in the whiting fishery.

Sablefish Symposium

Barnes provided TSC with a handout on status of Pacific mackerel and Pacific sardine assessments. Since most of the assessment data comes from the southern California area, he is concerned that the assessments are giving an incomplete picture of the status of the stock(s). He would like to know if the northern fish are part of one coastwide stock or a separate stock. Pacific sardine biomass is rapidly increasing at a rate of about 20% to 30% per year. At this rate of increase sardines could return to their historic level of high abundance in 10 years. In contrast to sardine, Pacific mackerel stocks have declined since the 1980s. Barnes sees the need for cooperative work in other areas besides the ageing work currently sponsored by PSMFC. He would like to see increased sampling of sardines from the northern area, so that biological data such as growth rate and maturity could be examined to help determine stock structure. Coastwide icthyoplankton surveys would also be very useful.

Butler spoke briefly about the Lidar system being used to estimate adult abundance. This laser system can be used from an airplane and is being explored as a survey tool for coastal pelagic species. Advantages are that a large amount of trackline can be covered in a short period of time and targets are discernable in the upper 30 meters of the water column. Disadvantages are limitations due to low cloud cover and difficulties in species identification.

Fecundity at age is not well documented for sardines and it seems to vary with age and size. This is an important issue in relating spawning biomass to total biomass. Butler said that the continuous underway fish egg sampling pump (CUFES) is used to estimate daily egg production . The next survey will be underway in 1999. It would be desirable to survey egg production from a larger survey area and there was some discussion of opportunistically using the CUFES on planned NMFS research cruises such as the 1998 West Coast hydroacoustic survey of Pacific whiting. Sardine usually spawn in about 14 degree water during spring in the California Current.

Saunders said that Pacific mackerel moved into their area in 1992-93 with the El Niño and stayed. Sardines are taken under experimental gear permits first issued in 1997, which required an observer. Only 10% of the estimated stock may be taken and only by purse seine. Sardine maturity data is not currently being collected by DFO. Saunders provided a recent DFO publication on sardine.

Barnes said that the California mackerel fishery in recent years is probably less than 5% jack mackerel and over 95% Pacific mackerel. This is in contrast to the late 1960s and early 1970s when young jack mackerel dominated the fishery. MacCall suggested that TSC recommend that the US and Mexico pressure NMFS to authorize the pelagics FMP and study transboundary pelagic stocks. Butler agreed on the importance of having both Mexico and Canada involved.

TSC discussed continuing informal presentations and reporting on mackerel and sardines or formally adding these species. Inclusion has helped exchange information and including otolith images in a web site or manual could be helpful. These are transboundary species and there are some connections with traditional groundfish species and harvest methods. It was decided to keep discussions on mackerel and sardine informal at this point in time.

DFO and WDFW met in Vancouver in 1996 and have set another meeting for the summer of 1997.

Thomas reported that California will commit to TSC fully in the future as long as meetings are held withing reasonable distances.

O’Connell described a growing utilization of skate and shark bycatch in Alaska. A developing fisheries policy meeting was held in April where a concern over a growing salmon shark fishery in Prince William Sound was expressed.

Methot reported that landings of Pacific grenadiers are increasing for both trawl and hook-and-line gear primarily off California. The demand is mostly from the Los Angeles fresh fish market. There was some concerned discussion over reports that there may be some catch "shuffling" of reported catch to limited entry fishers from open access permits involving thornyhead and grenadier catches. This raised some serious concerns about the quality of the fish ticket data base.

1. Pacific cod

2. Shelf Rockfish

3. Slope Rockfish

4. Thornyheads

5. Sablefish

6. Flatfish

7. Lingcod

10. Walleye Pollock

Hanson called members’ attention to (and distributed of) an internet page describing The Puget Sound/Georgia Basin International Task Force. It features a description of its Marine Science Panel’s recommendations for action in the shared waters of Washington and British Columbia. Hanson suggested that some of the transboundary issues that TSC deals with could be used to introduce our function to this body.

Jagielo reported that WDFW prepared the bathymetric information for a transboundary sampling project by the Task Force and can provide information on the location of their samples via the WDFW GIS system. Saunder followed up on this with the suggestion that future agency reports include brief descriptions GIS data sets each agency has developed.

Clausen described plans for a couple of submersible studies that will be conducted by ABL staff, including a study of the effects of bottom trawling on various habitats at 1000 ft depth (coral forest and other habitats) in July 1997 and a study of longline catch of shortraker and rougheye rockfish and sablefish in August 1997.

Barss adjourned the meeting for the day at 1700. The meeting was reconvened at 0800 Wednesday, May 8.

1. A successful lingcod stock assessment workshop was conducted in March 1997 and the minutes are attached (Attachment C).

2. Some agencies provided information and examples of ongoing logbook programs, and additional agencies are planning to contribute. Examples of logbooks are included as Attachment D.

3. Connell provided a brief report regarding the evaluation of age determination using lingcod otoliths compared to spines.

4. Methot plans to attend the next CARE meeting to discuss how stock assessment authors use ageing precision information in their models and assessments.

1. Saunders has a draft of the 1993 Report of the Annual Meeting which he will complete and distribute in 1997.
2. The TSC will continue to take steps to improve communication among members and agencies.
3. It was agreed that we would return to the meeting schedule discussed and adopted during the 1994 meeting (refer to Report of the 1994 Annual Meeting). These issues addressed coordination of the agenda, a conference call to discuss the agenda 30 days prior to the meeting to assemble a list of "hot" issues prior to the meeting, and to ensure agency reports are distributed among members a month prior to the meeting. All members present agreed to have draft agency reports done and distributed to all other members by April 1. A conference call to discuss topics for the agenda will be held on or about April 16.

1. The TSC requests that each agency include short descriptions on the following topics in their 1998 report:

   a. New logbook programs including details on

   1) Status of collection

   2) Stage of data entry (years entered and backlog)

b. GIS programs including details on: