Updates

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene three Stock Assessment Review (STAR) Panels this year to review 2023 stock assessments for copper rockfish in California, rex sole, shortspine thornyhead, black rockfish, petrale sole, and canary rockfish.  The meetings will be co-hosted by the NMFS Northwest and Southwest Fisheries Science Centers.  STAR panel meetings are open to the public and being conducted in person with a web broadcast that provides the opportunity for remote listening and public comment.

Dates and times of the STAR Panel meetings

The STAR Panel meeting (STAR Panel 1) to review new assessments for copper rockfish in California, rex sole, and shortspine thornyhead will be held Monday, June 5, 2023 through Friday, June 9, 2023 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and ending at 5:30 p.m. each day, or when business for the day has been completed.

The STAR Panel meeting (STAR Panel 2) to review new assessments for black rockfish will be held Monday, July 10, 2023 through Friday, July 14, 2023 beginning at 8:30 a.m. PDT and ending at 5:30 p.m. each day, or when business for the day has been completed.

The STAR Panel meeting (STAR Panel 3) to review a new assessment for petrale sole and canary rockfish will be held Monday, July 24, 2023 through Friday, July 28, 2023 beginning at 8:30 a.m. PDT and ending at 5:30 p.m. each day, or when business for the day has been completed.

Purpose of the meetings

The purpose of the STAR Panels is to review draft 2023 stock assessment documents and any other pertinent information for copper rockfish in California, rex sole, shortspine thornyhead, black rockfish, petrale sole, and canary rockfish; work with the Stock Assessment Teams to make necessary revisions; and produce STAR Panel reports for use by the Pacific Council and other interested persons for developing management recommendations for fisheries in 2025 and beyond.  The review panels will consist of members of the Pacific Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee’s Groundfish Subcommittee, at least one independent expert from the Center for Independent Experts, and other invited expert reviewers. Representatives of the Pacific Council’s Groundfish Management Team and the Groundfish Advisory Subpanel will also participate in the review as advisers. 

No management actions will be decided by the STAR Panels. The STAR Panel participants’ role will be development of recommendations and reports for consideration by the Pacific Council at its September meeting in Spokane, Washington.

To attend the meetings

STAR Panel 1 and STAR Panel 3 will be held at National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), and STAR Panel 2 will be held at National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), Santa Cruz Laboratory. For more details, please visit each STAR panel webpage.

Technical information

Technical details will be posted to each STAR Panel’s webpage as they become available.

Additional information

Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Dr. Owen Hamel (NWFSC) at 206-860-3481 or Dr. John Field (SWFSC) at 831-420-3907at least ten business days prior to the meeting date.

If you have additional questions regarding the meetings, please contact Dr. Owen Hamel (NWFSC), Dr. John Field (SWFSC), NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center, or  Marlene A. Bellman (PFMC staff) at 503-820-2414; toll free 1-866-806-7204, extension 414.