Research Document 2019/014

Pre-COSEWIC review of Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) along the Pacific coast of Canada: biology, distribution and abundance trends

By E.A. Keppel and N. Olsen

Abstract

This review presents data on Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) for use in a COSEWIC status report. Yelloweye Rockfish was listed as a species of “Special Concern” by COSEWIC in 2008. This species occurs from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to Baja California, including all coastal BC waters. Two designatable units are found in BC: the “inside” population occupying the inside waters between Vancouver Island and mainland BC, and the “outside” population occurring in all other BC waters. Yelloweye are found primarily in depths from 20 m to around 300 m coastwide. The inside population occurs over an approximate area of 14,267 km², while the outside population occur over an approximate area of 108,035 km². The maximum length of Yelloweye Rockfish caught in BC is 84 cm, and the maximum weight is 10.9 kg. British Columbia Yelloweye are aged to a maximum of 121 years, with an estimated age of 17 when 50% of individuals are mature. Natural mortality is estimated at 0.038. Average generation time is similar between the inside and outside populations, 42.8 and 42.6 years, respectivley. Yelloweye Rockfish are caught in commercial, recreational and First Nations fisheries in BC. Quotas have been reduced since 2001 to a current overall sector total of 110 t. In 2006 100% monitoring was implemented for BC fisheries. Research surveys have increased for groundfish in BC over the last 10 years providing abundance indices to represent population trends. These time series are still relatively short and will benefit from continuing surveys.

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