Research Document - 2013/039
An Assessment of Newfoundland East and South Coast Herring Stocks to the Spring of 2011
By C. Bourne, F. Mowbray, B. Squires, and J. Croft
Abstract
Results of an assessment to the spring of 2011 are presented for four herring stocks along the east and southeast coasts of Newfoundland: White Bay-Notre Dame Bay, Bonavista Bay-Trinity Bay, St. Mary’s Bay-Placentia Bay and Fortune Bay. Commercial landings decreased from 7405 t in 2009 to 6285 t in 2010; this represented approximately 47 % of the 2010 total Allowable Catch (TAC). Complete landings data were not available for 2011 at the time of the assessment. Where spring spawners were historically predominant in these stocks, over the past decade autumn spawners have accounted for an increasing proportion of the catch in all stock areas except Fortune Bay, and in 2010 composed more than 75 % of commercial landings. The 2002 year class was dominant in 2010 catches in all areas except St. Mary’s Bay-Placentia Bay. In all four stock areas the 2010 catch rates of most of mature autumn spawning year classes were average or above, where those for spring spawning year classes were largely below average. The recruiting 2006 year class was at or above average for all stock areas except Fortune Bay. Five series of abundance indices were available for most of the stock areas: research gill net catch rates, commercial gill net catch rates, gill net fisher observations from logbooks, gill net fisher observations from phone surveys, and purse seine fisher observations. No quantitative modeling of the stocks was done due to limited data. Stock status and future prospects were summarized for each stock area in a performance report. These reports were based upon a standardized interpretation of abundance indices and biological characteristics. For White Bay and Notre Dame Bay, stock status improved from 2002 to 2008, but deteriorated since. For Bonavista Bayand Trinity Bay, stock status improved from 2002 to 2007, deteriorated from 2008 to 2010 and improved slightly in 2011. For St. Mary’s Bay–Placentia Bay, stock status deteriorated from 2001 to 2004, remained stable to 2010 and increased slightly in 2011. For Fortune Bay, stock status deteriorated from 2001 to 2004, increased slightly in 2005, declined in 2006 and remained stable to 2010, then decreased again in 2011. For all areas, current abundance is substantially lower than peak estimates, most of which occurred in the 1970’s. Future prospects of all stock areas are uncertain, except Fortune Bay, which is negative.
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