The Technical Sub-committee of the Canada/US Groundfish Committee (TSC) met May 5, 6, and 7, 1998 in Olympia, Washington. Representatives from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Department of Fish and Game attended. Bill Barss (Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife), served as Chair, and Tom Jagielo (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) served as Secretary.

During the 1998 meeting, the TSC exchanged information on research, stock assessment and management activities conducted during 1997 and work planned for 1998. The agency reports and TSC working group reports have been collated in the accompanying document. The report contains additional information that scientists and managers may find useful including agency publication and staff lists.

The Canada/US Groundfish Committee (Parent Committee) was established in 1959 by the Second Conference on Coordination of Fisheries Regulations Between Canada and the United States and is sanctioned as an advisory group by the State Departments of both nations. The TSC was established at the first Parent Committee meeting as a technical advisory group to the Parent Committee. It is the only coast-wide forum for official exchange of information on the status of groundfish stocks and groundfish research among US federal and state agencies and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The terms of reference for the TSC, which are reviewed and approved at each annual meeting, are as follows:

1. Exchange information on the status of Groundfish stocks of mutual concern and to coordinate, whenever possible, desirable programs of research.

2. Recommend the continuance and further development of research programs having potential value as scientific basis for future management of the groundfish fishery.

3. Review the scientific and technical impacts of existing or proposed management strategies and their component regulations relevant to conservation of stock or other scientific aspects of groundfish conservation and management of mutual interest.

4. Transmit approved recommendations and appropriate documentation to appropriate sectors of Canadian and US governments to encourage implementation of these recommendations.

The TSC discusses issues of concern regarding west coast groundfish with emphasis on stocks. Although the TSC has no regulatory authority, the group makes recommendations both to itself and to the Parent Committee. The Parent committee has one member from each country who have the authority to contact appropriate officials in their respective countries to request action on recommendations made by the Parent Committee and/or the TSC.

Working Groups

Once the TSC identifies an issue, a working group is formed to further research the issue and, if possible, recommend a solution. Three such groups are currently active. The Committee of Age Reading Experts (C.A.R.E.) is an on-going working group which meets biennially to discuss groundfish age reading issues. Their primary objective is to promote coast-wide consistency and precision in groundfish age reading. The other two are stock assessment working groups formed to address stock issues regarding Pacific whiting, and yellowtail rockfish.

Discussion at the 1998 Meeting

Following the meeting format used in recent years, discussion in 1998 centered on particular highlights and questions brought up under each agenda item, rather than an exhaustive review of each agency report. The agency reports contain detailed information on agency organizational changes, stock status, research and management. The agency reports are appended to the 1998 Meeting Report as submitted by each agency as Attachment A.

Key discussion items at the 1998 meeting were as follows:

1. Overharvest of transboundary stocks. Canadian and U.S. managers adopted divergent yield options in 1998 for transboundary stocks of Pacific hake, lingcod, and possibly yellowtail rockfish. The TSC asked the Parent Committee to recommend that Canadian and U.S. managers develop a process to discuss yield options to prevent overharvest of transboundary stocks.
2. Inter-Jurisdictional Fisheries Act (IJFA) Funding. Stephen Phillips (PSMFC) reported that the IJFA funding focus will shift to a nearshore rockfish emphasis. Funding is to be used for state projects providing new research. Wallup-Breaux and Saltonstall-Kennedy funding are also anticipated to potentially support this effort.
3. Age Validation. The TSC discussed age validation and agency priorities for validation of additional species. The CARE list summarizing the status of age validation was distributed to attendees (Attachment B, Appendix 2). The TSC noted that shortspine thornyhead was a priority species needing validation. Further work on lingcod was suggested and yelloweye rockfish, cabezon and kelp greenling were noted as additional species of interest for age validation studies.
4. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Coastwide status of marine reserves was discussed and some MPAs were identified. An announcement on some Canadian MPAs is expected soon, and the WDFW policy on MPAs will be out shortly. Reserves are now present or proposed in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and California. Mary Lou Mills (WDFW) noted that it has taken 7 years to see an increase in the numbers of fish and much longer to see increases in fish size in some Washington MPAs.
5. Internet World Wide Web (web) Pages. Status of agency web pages was discussed and information on their content and how to accessing them was exchanged. PSMFC plans to establish and maintain a TSC web site in 1998. TSC will use the site to post meeting minutes, agency reports, and updates on activities. A portion of the site will be available for use by CARE.
6. Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Information on member agencies GIS systems was included in agency reports this year. TSC sees this as a valuable tool for associating habitat with fish stocks and should serve as a forum to foster the standardization of baseline data and to exchange GIS information among agencies through GIS technical experts.

Progress on 1997 Recommendations

Recommendations From the TSC to Itself

1. Logbooks and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). New and ongoing logbook programs were discussed and copies of the log book forms were provided. The 1997 TSC Meeting Report contains a section on logbooks. Some agencies contributed updated forms at the 1998 meeting. The group felt that in the future, posting new logbook forms on the planned website would be a good idea. Discussion on agency GIS programs was conducted at the 1998 meeting as planned
2. Transboundary stocks: Yellowtail rockfish: A working group report was submitted and discussed (Attachment C). Lingcod: Though discussed in 1997 and 1998, no progress was made, and a formal working group was not formed by TSC at either the 1997 or 1998 meetings.
3. Mackerel and Pacific Sardines were discussed at the 1998 meeting as planned.
4. Reports from most member agencies were not distributed by April 1 in advance of the 1998 meeting as planned, but email distribution of most of the documents was accomplished prior to the meeting. PSMFC website distribution of the documents will be attempted next year.
5. The TSC did not develop a report format for age structure exchanges in 1997 as planned. The lingcod age exchange organized and reported by WDFW was discussed as one example of documentation of age structure exchange results, when a particular problem was identified by TSC for analysis. This report will be used to recommend further work by age reading experts to resolve issues identified by the exchange. The TSC noted that in cases where routine age structure exchanges are initiated and conducted by CARE, it is also important that the results be conveyed back to TSC for review by stock assessment scientists.

Recommendations From the Parent Committee to the TSC

1. Mackerel and Pacific Sardines were discussed at the 1998 meeting as planned.

Recommendations From CARE to the TSC

1. Regarding the CARE request for age reading error analysis information: Dr. James Ianelli (NMFS-AFSC) visited CARE to discuss how precision results are being used by stock assessment scientists. He did not answer the CARE question about what is "acceptable" error.
2. Distribution of the CARE age reading manual: Five manuals were distributed at the 1998 CARE meeting, but more need to be made available. It was noted that age reading experts at some agencies did not receive a copy. More hard copies will be distributed in 1998.
3. Regarding the CARE request for an Internet web page: PSMFC is moving forward to establish a web page for TSC in 1998 which will include a section for CARE.

1998 Recommendations

A. Recommendations From the TSC to Itself

1. While communications among TSC members has improved in recent years, some problems still frustrate the exchange of reports among members via electronic mail attachments. By the end of 1998, the TSC will have established a website at PSMFC. We recommend to ourselves to develop and utilize a method for each member to post their 1999 agency report to the TSC website by the April 1, 1999 due date.
2. The TSC notes questions about sardine stock structure and range extent given recent survey results and the increased abundance in the Pacific Northwest and offshore areas. With interest in harvesting increasing coastwide, the TSC recommends that researchers involved in collection and analysis of sardine data review the most recent information on stock structure and discuss appropriate assessment configurations.

B. Recommendations From the TSC to the Parent Committee

1. The TSC notes that the combined Canadian/US harvest of hake continues to exceed the adopted yield option and recommends to the Parent Committee that the bilateral negotiations be encouraged to arrive at a solution.
2. This year, the Pacific whiting assessment will be delayed until after the coastwide joint US/Canada acoustic survey of Pacific whiting. Because of the shortened timetable, the TSC recommends to the Parent Committee that a joint US/Canada technical review meeting be convened in early 1999 to review the assessment, and recommend to U.S. and Canadian managers a range of yield options for 1999.
3. Canadian and U.S. managers adopted divergent yield options in 1998 for transboundary stocks of Pacific hake, lingcod, and possibly yellowtail rockfish. The TSC asks that the Parent Committee recommend that Canadian and U.S. managers develop a process to discuss yield options to prevent overharvest of transboundary stocks.

3. Recommendations From the TSC to CARE

1. The CARE raised several issues regarding communications between the TSC and CARE. The TSC responds as follows:
• The TSC does not see the need for a permanent liaison between the two bodies. Formal communications will take place between the respective chairs in the form of prompt exchanges of recommendations. The chairs, in turn, will assure prompt dissemination of these recommendations among the members of their committee.
• After reviewing the CARE Terms of Reference, the TSC does not believe they need revision. The CARE is encouraged to use their discretion to resolve questions of membership and participation.
2. In light of the increased importance of coastal pelagic fishery issues, the TSC recommends that the CARE include a coastal pelagics section in their age reading manual.
3. The TSC supports the CARE's view that work on age validation should be emphasized and recognizes that this may impact the volume of production age reading. An assessment that would benefit most from age validation is shortspine thornyheads.
4. The TSC strongly recommends to CARE that they emphasize "hands-on" work with age structures at their meeting and minimize the number of scientific presentations if they are available at other venues. Given the large attendance at the 1998 CARE meeting, TSC also encourages holding annual CARE meetings which may facilitate increased participation in technical sessions.
5. The TSC asks that the CARE submit a report to the TSC summarizing the results of any age reading exchanges initiated by CARE. The report should include any changes to criteria to be applied by age readers from the agencies involved.
6. The TSC notes that recent lingcod and Pacific hake exchanges found bias in ages compared between agencies. The TSC recommends that the CARE work to resolve the differences and report them to the TSC.

Plans for the 1999 Meeting of the TSC

The 1999 meeting of the TSC will be hosted by NMFS-NWFSC at the Montlake lab by Rick Methot and Herb Sanborn. If you would like further information regarding the TSC call Tom Barnes (1999-2000 Chair) at (619) 546-7167.