Norway-USA, Catch Sampling and Estimation

This project is mainly related to fishery dependent sampling and catch and bycatch (or discard) estimation. Use of observers for sampling at sea varies among regions. The US Alaska Fisheries Science Centre (AFSC) has an extensive observer program collecti ng catch, discard, and biological data for management and stock assessment. Primary responsibilities of the US NorthEast Fisheries Science Centre (NEFSC) observers involve monitoring for fishery interactions with protected species but the collection of di scard data and biological sampling of finfish and invertebrate fisheries by observers also occurs. Although the Norwegian Fishery Directorate employs a small cadre of seagoing inspectors who collect a small amount of biological data, most fishery dependen t data is collected by IMR personnel at fishing ports, the Norwegian Coastguard and by trained crew aboard vessels which cooperate with IMR (the Norwegian Reference Fleet). The group realizes that it would not be possible to document sampling and estima tion procedures for all fisheries in each region. Suggestions for examples include selecting comparable species and fisheries and/or documenting data rich and data poor examples in each region. The initial plan is to prepare separate background papers for each region followed by a ?synthesis? paper. The importance of the discard issue has been recognized during discussions and the linkage between this project and a US national initiative to document detailed discard and bycatch estimates and methodologies in all regions has been recognized. A workshop will be held to (i) review estimation procedures in each region, the status of the first papers and agree on scope of analyses for evaluating alternative approaches & run simulations, and (ii) initiate rese arch for developing improved approaches to support a process for national reporting bycatch and discard for important (and potentially all) regional fisheries