Research Document 2019/047

Relationship between the 4R NAFO division (West coast of Newfoundland) capelin (Mallotus spp.) fishery performance index and environmental conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

By Chamberland, J.-M., Smith, A., Castonguay, M. and Plourde, S.

Abstract

Capelin in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) is a stock for which there is currently no abundance index. Science advisories on the status of the capelin stock are therefore based on indirect abundance indices, most notably an index of the commercial fishery performance in NAFO Division 4R. In this study, we test the hypothesis that interannual variations in the commercial fishery performance index would reflect variations in capelin recruitment two years earlier, with the premise that capelin recruitment in the northern GSL is associated with the same oceanographic processes as those demonstrated on the east coast of Newfoundland (NAFO divisions 3KL).

Our analyses showed that the performance index of the 4R Division capelin commercial fishery was strongly related to the same oceanographic processes that determine capelin recruitment on the east coast of Newfoundland, i.e., copepod abundance and bloom timing in the pelagic zone. In addition, the autocorrelation in the performance index had a structure that reflected the longevity of the species, which adds support to the hypothesis. However, the increase in the performance of the commercial capelin fishery from 1993 to 2013 could be explained by other factors that could not be tested, including improvements in the technologies used by commercial fishers. Therefore, it is recommended to continue interpreting the commercial capelin fishery performance index with caution.

Research Document 2019/047 (PDF, 3.5 MB)

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