Research Document - 2014/034

Assessment of Northern Wolffish, Spotted Wolffish, and Atlantic Wolffish in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans

By R.K. Collins, M.R. Simpson, C.M. Miri, L.G.S. Mello, D. Chabot, K. Hedges, H. Benoît, T.M. McIntyre

Abstract

This paper presents the most recent information on trends in abundance, distribution, and fishery removals of Anarhichus denticulatus (Northern Wolffish), A minor (Spotted Wolffish), and A lupus (Atlantic Wolffish) in the Northwest Atlantic and Arctic Oceans in support of an allowable harm assessment of these species. Previously, all three species were listed on Schedule 1 of Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) as being at risk, due to significant declines in relative abundance indices and reduction in area occupied during the 1980s and early 1990s. Their SARAstatus was upheld in November 2012 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Abundance indices for all three Wolffish species throughout Canadian Atlantic and Arctic waters have been stable or at higher values since the mid-2000s compared to the 1990s and early 2000s. However, there are areas where catches are sporadic because the species are scarce and represent a minor portion of the overall population. Although some increases in abundance have occurred in some areas, levels for Northern and Spotted Wolffish in Div. 2J3K, where the majority of the population resided, remain low in relative to historic values.

Due to an overall reduction in fishing effort since the 1990s, and mandatory release of both Northern Wolffish and Spotted Wolffish since 2003, mortality due to fishing of these two species has been reduced in Canada’s EEZ. The current level of observer coverage in three major mobile gear fisheries in NL (Greenland Halibut; Yellowtail Flounder; offshore shrimp) which were simulated is adequate and effective in the determination of harm on wolffish, where they are a common bycatch species. Observer coverage could not be evaluated in other fisheries due to the lack of appropriate data in most cases.

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