Research Document 2017/051

Assessment of Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (3Pn, 4RS) in 2015

By Gauthier, J., Grégoire, F., and Nozères, C.

Abstract

The Quebec Region of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) conducted an initial assessment of the status of the Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) in the northern Gulf of St Lawrence (nGSL) in winter 2006. During that assessment, the frequency of advisories was set at five years (DFO 2006, DFO 2011, DFO 2014, DFO 2016). Since the population structure and the identification of Lumpfish stocks are unknown, the assessment focuses on Divisions 4R and 4S and on Subdivision 3Pn of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. This choice is based on areas of interest where there is a directed fishery for this species. Few data are available for this assessment. The main indicators of the status of the nGSL Lumpfish are derived from statistical data on the fishery, sampling of commercial catches, DFO's bottom trawl survey and from the mobile surveys of the sentinel fishery program. This document describes the biology, fishery, as well as data and analyses that were used to produce the advice on the assessment of the Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (3Pn, 4RS) in 2015. (DFO 2016).

Lumpfish fishery in the nGSL is relatively recent, having developed in the mid-1970s. It is aimed exclusively at females for the caviar market and takes place in spring. Lumpfish roe landings have decreased considerably, from an annual average of 349 t for the 1986–2009 period, to 35 t for the 2010–2015 period. The number of active fish harvesters has also decreased greatly, from an annual average of 404 participants, to 65 for the same periods. Fishing is practised mainly in unit area 4Sw, Subdivision 3Pn and Division 4R. Since 2013, all fishing activities have been concentrated in unit area 4Ra.

Factors such as market conditions, the synchronization of the fishery with the arrival of females in coastal waters, weather conditions and the possibility of more lucrative fisheries could partly explain the decline in landings and fishing effort. The sharp decline in landings and effort suggests a significant decline in resource abundance. This resource's abundance seems to fluctuate on a cyclical basis and is at a low. Although the reasons for this low abundance are uncertain, the resource's vulnerability to recruitment overfishing suggests a very cautious approach.

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