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

Abstract

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.