STAR Panel Advisors

A draft assessment of greenspotted rockfish (Sebastes chlorostictus) in U.S. waters off California was reviewed by the STAR Panel that met at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) in Santa Cruz, CA, during August 8-12, 2011. Greenspotted rockfish is not a primary target species, but it ranks 7 th in total landings south of Point Conception and 12 th north of Point Conception. Although the Greenspotted rockfish is found from Copalis Head, Washington to Baja California, Mexico, the assessment is limited to California U.S. waters only, because the greatest abundance of the species is observed from Mendocino County in California to northern Baja California (data from Mexican waters are unavailable). No information is currently available on stock structure for this species, but the resource is modeled as two separate stocks (north and south of Point Conception) to account for differences in species biology and exploitation history in two areas. The Panel operated under the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (PFMC) Terms o