 FOCI's
operational goal is to forecast
pollock recruitment. Using data gathered during winter and
spring of each year and the understanding gained through ecosystem research,
FOCI predicts the abundance of the year's spawned fish that will survive
for three years. This forecast is used by the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) to establish recruitment scenarios for a stock projection
model. With results from the model and other information, NMFS advises
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council which then sets quotas. FOCI
has made the qualitative forecast annually since 1992 with good success. |
