To: N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission

From: Trish Murphey, Biological Review Team Chairman

Subject: Stock Status Report

Date: June 27, 2008

Attached is the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ 2008 Stock Status Report.  This annual report is intended to serve as a general barometer of the overall health of our fishery resources and is used to prioritize development of fishery management plans and subsequent plan amendments. 

Stock status definitions were modified in 2007 to better address the assignment of a status to stocks that have unapproved or no stock assessment, or whose stock assessments are too unreliable to determine a status. In addition, the term “Overfished” was changed to “Depleted” to address those stocks that may have other factors besides fishing contributing to low population abundances.

No changes in status in any of the 39 stocks covered in the report occurred during the previous year.

Species to watch in 2008-2009 include:

• Spotted seatrout, fishery management plan being developed;
• Southern flounder, stock assessment being updated;
• Blue crabs, fishery management plan scheduled for amendment; and
• Estuarine striped bass, fishery management plan scheduled for amendment.

In addition, action is anticipated on those species with upcoming stock assessments or amendments through the federal councils or the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and summer flounder, spiny dogfish, vermillion snapper).