Science Advisory Report 2008/037

Assessment of the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (divisions 4RST) capelin stock

Summary

• Capelin landings in NAFO Divisions 4RST decreased from 11,883 t (peak for the time series) in 2006 to 7,416 t in 2007 (preliminary). Most (72%) of these landings were made with purse seine and trap in the northern part of 4Ra on the west coast of Newfoundland.
• The landings reduction observed in 2007 is explained by the marked decrease of catches in 4Rb and 4Rc. In 2007, landings in these two unit areas were 6 t and 691 t compared to annual averages (1990-2006) of 977 t and 2,729 t.
• Capelin is regularly taken as a by-catch in the shrimp fishery. Based on observer data, an estimated 121 t of capelin were caught in 2007, mostly in the Seven Islands shrimp fishery management area.
• The fishery in 4Rc in the 1990s occurred later than in the 1980s. A certain consistency has been observed since then except for 2006.
• On the west coast of Newfoundland, the size (length) of capelin caught by purse seiners decreased from the early 1990s to 2001 and has increased since then. Lengths measured in 2007 were similar to the annual average of the 1984-2006 period.
• Since 1990, the presence of capelin in the annual bottom trawl surveys has become more wide spread in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Division 4T). However, for the west coast of Newfoundland (Division 4R), the presence of capelin in these surveys has decreased in recent years as the dispersion index values in 2006 and 2007 were among the lowest of the series.
• Since 2005, TACs have been set at 11,200 t for 4R and 1,800 t for 4ST. Predation mortality indicates that the commercial fishery harvests a small proportion of the total biomass. However, any TAC increase should be made cautiously due to capelin’s prominent role as a forage species in the marine ecosystem.
• The failure to locate fish on the traditional fishing grounds in 4Rb and 4Rc in 2007 suggests that no increase of the TAC should be made in Division 4R. Fishing effort should preferably be dispersed along the coast.

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