Its July and time for our annual update on the fish, shellfish and crustaceans managed by the Marine Fisheries Commission and the Division of Marine Fisheries. The 2018 Stock Overview serves to summarize the scientific information used to determine the overall condition of North Carolina’s fishery resources.

This issue of “The Insight” will focus on the science and terminology behind the assessments in the overview, and the importance of identifying and continuing to fund and conduct research to answer the questions surrounding these species. We will also highlight the team of highly skilled and dedicated stock assessment scientists at the division. Under the Fisheries Reform Act, a state law passed in 1997, the division is charged with developing fishery management plans and management recommendations for the Marine Fisheries Commission. The stock assessment scientist’s job is to conduct the complex analysis and assessments that division management recommendations and commission management decisions are based upon.

To provide the public an overview of our managed species, the 2018 Stock Overview is providing specific fishery management terms to the 14 state-managed species. The other 23 species or stocks are managed through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and the Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, and the Division of Marine Fisheries participates in this interjurisdictional management.

In this year’s stock overview, we have eliminated listing stocks under subjective names such as “viable” and “concern” which often caused confusion with the public. For example, in the past, a species might be listed as “concern” for reasons such as declining harvest, poor recruitment of mature fish into the fishery, and natural mortality events, such as a cold stun, disease, or a lack of data to even make those determinations.    

The 2018 Stock Overview provides specific information for each stock based on the most recent peer-reviewed stock assessment, and includes management issues, concerns, and status of management plans. The overview is directly related to whether overfishing is occurring, and if the stock is overfished. Where those determinations cannot be made, we provide pertinent information on trends and management of the species.

You will also see the term “unknown” used in the stock overview descriptions. We know a great deal about all species we manage, but sometimes we are missing key data that is necessary to fully assess a stock or population of that species. In the context of this report, “unknown” means that the determination on whether a species is overfished or overfishing is occurring cannot be mathematically verified. Take Red Drum for example; overfishing is not occurring, but because this is such a long-lived species, the size of the fish stock (overfished status) is unknown due to limited data available for the larger adult population.

Four species: blue crab, southern flounder, striped mullet and estuarine striped bass in the Central Southern Management Area are highlighted in the 2017 Stock Overview. Blue crab, southern flounder and striped mullet are highlighted due to ongoing concerns with overfishing, overfished status or hitting management triggers for review and possible management actions. Estuarine striped bass in the Central Southern Management Area are highlighted due to ongoing concerns with low natural reproduction and a fishery that is primarily supported by hatchery reared fish.

The complete 2018 Stock Overview can be found on the Division of Marine Fisheries website at:
http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/stock-overview

I hope this issue provides you with a better understanding of our fisheries stocks and the tremendous amount of work that goes into the management of these species. Thanks for reading and stay safe out on the water.