Science Advisory Report 2008/023

2008 Assessment of 4VWX Herring

Summary

SW Nova Scotia / Bay of Fundy

• Landings in 2006/07 were 50,400t against a TAC of 50,000t for the SW Nova Scotia / Bay of Fundy component. Landings have tracked the TAC in recent years with most of the quota being taken each year since 2002.
• There has been an increase of older/larger fish in the catch but the percentage is well below pre-1999 levels. The number of smaller fish in the catch (less than 23cm) were similar to other years. Small fish were seen in abundance in both the stock fishery and in New Brunswick weirs suggesting a strong year-class.
• Biomass estimates in the traditional survey areas for Scots Bay, Trinity Ledge and German Bank were 384,400t, which is an increase of approximately 100,000t from 2006. The index from acoustic surveys has increased by 64% over the last two years, is at a moderate level, and is 12% below the average of the nine year series.
• Fishing mortality was not determined but appears to be decreasing based on the trends from relative exploitation rates from acoustic surveys.
• Some conservation objectives specified for this fishery are being met but there are still concerns with spawning areas other than German Bank.
• This assessment indicates an improvement from the low level of the resource noted in recent assessments. A harvest strategy that exercises continued caution to facilitate further rebuilding is strongly recommended.
• The potential benefits of the quota and other rebuilding measures from 2005 through to 2007 are now starting to be reflected in improved biological characteristics of the population.

Offshore Scotian Shelf Banks

• Since 1996, a fishery has taken place on feeding aggregations on the offshore banks, primarily in May and June, with catches ranging from 1,000 to 20,000t. Total landings were down to 5,400t in 2007 from 9,800t in 2006.
• There is little new information to add and no reason to change the previous recommendation that the initial catch allocation for 2008 should not exceed the 12,000t as described in the fishing plan.
• The industry has been encouraged to explore and undertake structured surveys of the offshore area but this has not occurred in recent years.

Coastal (South Shore, Eastern Shore and Cape Breton) Nova Scotia

• In 2007 there was a reduction in surveyed acoustic biomass in the Halifax/Eastern Shore area of about 50%. The Little Hope area saw an even larger decline of almost 90% from the previous year.
• Management approaches and recent research efforts have improved knowledge in three areas (Little Hope/Port Mouton, Halifax/Eastern Shore and Glace Bay), but there has been no increase in knowledge in adjacent areas. Surveys were also completed near Glace Bay but there were very little spawning herring documented or catch reported.
• There should be no large increases in effort in coastal spawning areas and no new fisheries developed when there is uncertainty regarding stock composition and degree of mixing.
• The decline in or lack of surveyed biomass of all three major coastal spawning groups is cause for concern. It is recommended that given the current situation of declining biomass in all areas the “survey, assess, then fish” protocol should be reinstated.

SW New Brunswick Migrant Juvenile

• These fish have been considered to be a mixture of juveniles, dominated by those originating from NAFO Subarea 5 spawning components, and have therefore been excluded from the 4WX quota.
• The landings for the 2007 New Brunswick weir and shutoff fishery were 30,921t which is the highest catch for this component since 1993.

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