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occurred in many groundfish species. Research has been funded more to 

 emphasize development of new resources than to enhance recovery of depleted 

 stocks. Although this past decade has seen a shift toward the biomass 

 approach (responding to across-the-board depletions), this past decade has 

 also witnessed intense and highly varied perturbations from fishing fleet 

 activities. Definition of the natural system is extremely difficult when 

 the feedback from that system is always changing. This situation directly 

 impacts efforts to assess sustainable yield. 



It is somewhat ironic that the two species with the best assessment 

 information today for Georges Bank are haddock and yellow-tail flounder — 

 the two species in gravest trouble. '"-^^ Today, a decade after the haddock 

 disaster, massive changes have occurred relating to extended jurisdiction, 

 enforcement of quotas, and establishment of the quotas themselves. Today, 

 ICNAF quotas are established according to the "two-tier" system, wherein 

 the sum of the individual species quotas is lower than the sum of all quotas 

 taken together. This system reflects interspecies relations that are as yet 

 poorly understood; the assumption is that, over time, the two totals will 

 grow closer. ^^^' The difference in totals reflects problems with by-catch, 

 noncompliance with regulations, and efforts to restore stocks. 



Importantly, however, radical changes in assessment methodology and 

 techniques have not been made--today's efforts have largely become attempts 

 to reflect all of the uncertainties and biases that are bound to occur in a 

 fluid marine environment. Yet an historical study of assessments indicates 

 that there never has been a period of adequate control over inputs so as to 

 test the accuracy of assessment theories and biological assumptions . As 



