Second Science Management Dialogue

The Commission at WCPFC20 tasked the SSP to undertake evaluations of some selected candidate Management Procedures for South Pacific albacore, where the output of the HCR is total allowable effort and alternatively where the output of the same or similar HCR is total allowable catch. 

Due to unresolved technical challenges, the management procedure work was not available to SC20. However, SC20 reviewed and adopted the operating model reference set and robustness set for evaluating South Pacific albacore management procedures while recommending future work to address uncertainties, including the impacts of climate change, effort creep, and stock structure. They also provided technical guidance on the estimation model and the design of management procedure to be evaluated.

SMD02 will review the progress made since SC20 and provide recommendations to the Commission focusing on selecting an appropriate candidate MP or a suite of candidate MPs.