Peer Review Plans

Title and Description:
Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico:   Fishery characteristics and biological reference points for management
The information is a scientific paper on a method for the assessment of the Gulf menhaden stock, which will be published in the Fisheries Research Journal. Gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, plays a key ecological role in the northern Gulf of Mexico and supports the second largest commercial fishery by weight in the United States. Here we describe that fishery and propose biological reference points (BRP) for its management. The BRPs represent targets and limits of both fishing mortality rate and population fecundity, where "target" is defined as the management goal, and "limit", a value to be avoided.  We have assessed stock status relative to the BRPs by fitting a statistical catch-age model to fishery-dependent and fishery- independent data spanning 1964-2004. Results indicate that in the terminal year neither limit reference point is exceeded. Of possible concern, however, is a recent increase in fishing mortality and decrease in population fecundity. With these trends, terminal values exceed their targets, although by little relative to the uncertainty in the estimates. Sensitivity analyses show these results are robust to model assumptions.

For formulas for the preceding, see ID74Description.doc.

ID:  74 Info. Type:  ISI
Estimated Dissemination Date:  12/15/2006
Contact Person: Rebecca Rootes  NOAA Locator

Date First Posted in Peer Review Agenda:  12/15/2006

Estimated Peer Review Start Date:  2/1/2006
Review type:  individual letters
Expected number of peer reviewers:  3 or fewer
Peer reviewers will be selected by:  a designated outside organization

Will the public, including scientific or professional societies, be asked to nominate potential peer reviewers?  no

Will there be opportunities for the public to comment on the work product to be peer reviewed?  no

How?  NA
When?  NA

Will the agency provide significant and relevant public comments to the peer reviewers before they conduct their review?  no

Primary disciplines or expertise needed in the review: 

Comments on Peer Review:
More on Description:  ID74Description.doc.

Reviewers selected by:  Fisheries Research Journal.

Charge statement to the peer reviewers:  http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journalrelatedinfo.cws_home/503309/preface1