Heating up on new fees

["W"]

Last word I got on SPR# see dates

Thanks for your interest in spotted seatrout management. As you
are probably aware it takes several years after regulatory changes are
in place before those changes can be accurately measured in an
assessment. We are currently compiling any and all new information that
has been collected since our last full stock assessment in 2005 with
plans to complete a new assessment in late 2009 or early 2010. We will
be happy to provide you with those results as they become available.
Thanks again.



The Department's adopted a conservation standard is 18% static
SPR per biological examination of stock, as outlined below in the 2005
assessment. What this means is that we believe there is a possible risk
of adversely impacting recruitment if SPR is allowed to remain below
18%. In order to avoid going below the threshold, the department has
adopted the following conservation standard. For spotted seatrout,
fishing regulations should not allow cumulative fishing mortality rates
to reduce the spawning potential of a cohort on average below 18% static
SPR. This conservation standard is designed to stabilize the spawning
potential of a cohort at or above the median level found in the 1980's,
where existing evidence indicates that the spawning stock had not been
reduced to a level that would adversely impact recruitment.



The 2004 status of the stock, defined as the static SPR, is
14.5%, a substantial decline from the 20.9% SPR reported in 2000. This
is below the conservation standard of 18% described above.



Current assessment in 2005, with data through 2004. Static SPR
of 14.5%. We are currently in process of reviewing, updating and
modifying this assessment to include new information sources and
assessment methods.