Application of SCAA to the Gulf of Maine flounder resource, though initial at this stage, suggests that with some downweighting of catch-at-age data in the likelihood, the serious retrospective problem of previous VPA assessments of this resource disappear. There are indications from the model fits considered that survey selectivity is domed (assuming commercial selectivity to be asymptotically flat at higher ages) and/or natural mortality is higher than the conventionally assumed 0.2.
History
Department/Unit
Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town