Improving fisheries stock assessments through scientific advice: Comparison of national and international fisheries peer review systems

Fisheries stock assessments are an essential component of fisheries systems, providing key and timely fisheries advice related to allowable catches, effort, and stock status and conservation. To make certain the stock... [ view full abstract ]

Fisheries stock assessments are an essential component of fisheries systems, providing key and timely fisheries advice related to allowable catches, effort, and stock status and conservation. To make certain the stock assessments utilize the best available science, national and international fisheries systems have increasingly adopted peer review approaches to evaluate findings and advice, to develop internal capacity, and to build confidence among stakeholders and managers. 

This study evaluates how peer review is built into and used across a series of national (US, Canada, EU, Australia, and New Zealand), international (tuna regional fishery management organizations, The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources), and private (Marine Stewardship Council) systems. Peer review factors considered include the timing, type, and frequency of peer review, selection processes, and output consideration, among others. It is expected that the study findings will both identify the range of fisheries peer review systems across several systems and assist other systems in selecting those factors that may best be applied in establishing sustainable marine conservation approaches.