An updated list, including 1998 Amendment 9 goals, of where we are versus where NMFS wants to be based on their recently updated biological reference point list for multispecies stocks.  Note this is unofficial information; please write me with any corrections or improvements.  Gluttons for punishment - would you be doing this otherwise? - can find the full report here.

There's something you should know about these new reference points.  NMFS is not saying that, because they want to have a larger B_MSY, that we'll then be able to harvest more fish.  In fact, their press statements along these lines are misleading, e.g. "...if you let the fish stay out there and get bigger and stay in the population, we're going to get a much bigger yield of new fish than has been possible."  Under the newly recommended reference points (not counting Georges haddock for which there is no present MSY listed), the new, long-term annual MSY is about 27,000 mt less than the current reference points  - just add up all of the MSYs in the report under the current reference points and under the recommended reference points.  Note that pollock accounts for a large part of this reduction.

There are technical reasons MSY's might be lower under the new reference points  - lower long-term Fs, more risk-averse management, more confidence in maintaining those levels over the long-term, and so on.  Unfortunately, technicalities don't pay the bills (unless you work for the government, that is).  Under either scenario - old or new reference points - NMFS says we are currently harvesting about a third of the long-term MSY for the multispecies complex.    Click here to see a table with landings info for 1999 & 2000 versus the old and new MSY goals (note: Discard estimates are not included here, no accounting is made for the effect of any trip limits in efect at the time, & I have not included windowpane information).  Sorry - I know a lot changed in 2001, but this is the latest information I have.

There's little dispute that if we continue to rebuild the complex - and it is  rebuilding - we'll be able to harvest more than we are now.  The question is: At what cost?