Research Document - 2016/073
2015 Evaluation of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 4VWX Herring
By Singh, R., Dalton, A., Knox, D., MacIntyre, A., and Melvin, G.D.
Abstract
The 2015 evaluation of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 4VWX herring considered the data from the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 quota years. Quota landings of Atlantic Herring (Clupea harengus) in 2012-2013 were 46,554 tonne (t) and in 2013-2014 were 50,250t against a Total Allowable Catch of 50,000t for each quota year for the Southwest Nova Scotia/Bay of Fundy (SWNS/BoF) component. Acoustic biomass estimates decreased by 28% in 2013 followed by a 37% increase in 2014 for the SWNS/BoF stock component. In 2014, the SWNS/BoF stock component biomass estimate was slightly above the long term average. It is evident that most of the recent fluctuation in the SWNS/BoF spawning complex is occurring in the Scots Bay area despite an industry imposed catch restriction in the area. In 2013, the fishery catch at age composition by number was comprised of 34% fish at age 2, 21% fish at age 3, 9% at age 4, and 22% at ages 5+. In 2014, the fishery catch at age composition by number was comprised of 30% fish at age 2, 29% at age 3, 12% at age 4, and 21% at ages 5+. In 2013 and 2014, the proportion of the catch age 5+ is the second and third highest proportion of ages 5+ caught since 1994.
Landings from the Offshore Scotian Shelf banks areas continued the downward trend that began in 2012, with landings of only 1,515t in 2013 and 58t in 2014. There were only limited landings of herring from the bottom trawl and mid-water trawl (only 2014) gear in the Offshore Scotian Shelf banks areas for 2013 and 2014. No acoustic survey was completed for the offshore area in 2013 and 2014. Herring abundance in the 2013 and 2014 summer bottom trawl research vessel survey remained relatively consistent with the survey results since 2011. The overall 4VWX area showed an increase in abundance from 2012 to 2013, followed by a subsequent decrease in 2014. This survey has not been considered indicative of overall abundance due to changes in catchability for herring and a lack of year-class tracking.
The recorded landings in the gillnet and trap net fisheries along the coast of Nova Scotia increased from 3,007t in 2012 to 3,937t in 2013 and to 4,760t in 2014. There was a large increase in the surveyed acoustic biomass in the Halifax/Eastern Shore area from an historic low estimate in 2012 of 3,668t, to 6,870t in 2013, and again in 2014 to 9,586t, which is near the five-year average of 10,664t. In the Little Hope area, there was an increase in 2013 to 74,532t from the four-year low in 2012 of 12,756t. The surveyed biomass in the Little Hope/Port Mouton area decreased to 46,077t in 2014, but is still above the five-year average of 37,664t. Only one survey was completed near Glace Bay in 2013 (50t) and none were completed in 2014. In the Glace Bay area, minimal landings of 2t and 1t were reported in 2013 and 2014, respectively. No herring surveys took place in the Bras d’Or Lakes.
Landings in the New Brunswick weir and shut-off fishery were at a historic low of 504t in 2012. Landings increased to 6,431t in 2013 and then decreased to 2,149t in 2014, the second lowest landings for this fishery since 1963. In 2007, landings were 30,944t, the highest in nearly 20 years. The age distribution of fish caught in the New Brunswick weir and shutoff fishery were primarily juveniles, with 93% (2013) and 96% (2014) by numbers at either age 1 or age 2. The success of this passive trap fishery has been historically unpredictable and landings have declined markedly from the 1980s to present. Landings may not be indicative of abundance because catches are extremely susceptible to many factors in addition to abundance, including effort.
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