Four international scientists worked with their South African counterparts at the University of Cape Town in late November to, among other things, review the operational management procedure (OMP) that has been proposed to recommend a total allowable catch for the hake fishery for the next four years.
The scientists are Sean Cox of Canada, Sarah Gaichas and André Punt of the United States of America, and Malcolm Haddon of Australia.
The International Stock Assessment Review Workshop is an annual event that is convened by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF) and the Marine Resource Assessment and Management (MARAM) Group at UCT’s Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. It is funded by DAFF and the National Research Foundation and it performs a peer review function by providing local fisheries scientists with an opportunity to subject their stock assessment techniques and findings to the scrutiny of international experts in the field.
Last year’s workshop determined that stocks of deep-water hake and shallow-water hake are “above maximum sustainable yield” and catches are sustainable over time. This was confirmed by the surveillance audit conducted by the Marine Stewardship Council in May 2018.
Download the final report of the International Stock Assessment Review Workshop 2018.