Proceedings 2017/046
Proceedings of the Regional Peer Review of the Assessment of Arctic Surfclam (Mactromeris polynyma) Stock on Banquereau; April 20-21, 2017
Chairperson: Tana Worcester
Editor: Lottie Bennett
Summary
A regional peer review meeting was held on April 20-21, 2017, at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to assess the stock status of Arctic Surfclam on Banquereau and to provide management advice in a manner consistent with the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) precautionary approach. As set out in the Terms of Reference, the focus of the meeting was to assess current stock status of the total fished area and the five proposed assessment areas on Banquereau, evaluate reference points to be used in future stock assessments and updates of Surfclam on Banquereau, review available information on habitat suitability, and provide management advice. Participation in this meeting included DFO Science and Resource Management, First Nations and Aboriginal organizations, the fishing industry, and non-DFO scientists.
The Arctic Surfclam fishery in the Canadian Atlantic operates on both the Scotian Shelf and the Grand Banks, with effort concentrated on Banquereau during 2006-2015, and both banks fully harvested in 2016. The Grand Bank and Banquereau Arctic Surfclam stock was last assessed in 2010 and 2011 (Roddick et al. 2011, 2012) using an assessment framework developed for Banquereau and Sable banks in 2007 (DFO 2007). In 2016, a fisheries-dependent assessment methodology was developed for Banquereau using a spatially disaggregated surplus production model (Hubley and Heaslip 2016). Given that there has been relatively little fishing activity on Grand Bank since the time of the last assessment in 2010, a full analysis can only be conducted for Banquereau at this time.
On Banquereau, high resolution Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data was used to estimate the fishery footprint, which served as a proxy for habitat suitability data. Modelled biomass estimates are only provided for the fished area portion of the Bank, which is divided into five spatial assessment areas. Maximum sustainable yield reference points pertaining to fished areas were calculated from the surplus production model with FMSY estimates near 0.09; however, phase plots indicate that catch rates decline when F is greater than 0.5FMSY. A removal reference of 0.5FMSY and continued use of the current trigger level reference point of CPUE70 was proposed. The Banquereau stock is considered healthy as modelled biomass estimates are above the biomass reference levels for all five assessment areas.
This proceedings document includes a summary of the presentation and is a record of the meeting discussions and conclusions. A Science Advisory Report and a Research Document resulting from this meeting will be published on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat’s (CSAS) Website as they become available.
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