Science Advisory Report 2010/028

Assessment of the Greenland Halibut Stock in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (4RST) in 2009

Summary

• Preliminary Greenland halibut landings as of December 2009 increased compared with 2008 and totalled 4,002 t.
• Catch rates of traditional gillnetters using 6 in. mesh nets have remained stable and high over the last three years. In 2009, they increased in Esquiman and north of Anticosti and decreased in the western Gulf.
• The proportion of females in catches was 85% in 2009 and has remained more or less the same since 2000. The mean size of fish increased by 0.9 cm to 48.2 cm between 2008 and 2009, and the proportion of individuals smaller than the legal size of 44 cm decreased from 19% in 2008 to 12% in 2009.
• The size at which 50% of fish are mature has remained rather low since 2001. At the minimum legal size of 44 cm, 57% of females and 3% of males are immature.
• The biomass index (kg/tow) from the DFO survey and from the sentinel fishery dropped in 2009 and is below the average from the last ten years (1999-2008). The trend from both surveys is similar for each region. The 2009 index is comparable to 2008 north of Anticosti and in Esquiman and dropped sharply in the western Gulf.
• The 2003 and 2004 year-classes will significantly contribute to the fishery in 2010, but their abundance has largely decreased between 2008 and 2009 on both surveys. The 2005 year-class that should begin to contribute to the 2010 fishery is below the average from the last ten years (1999-2008) and below the long term average (1990-2008).
• A drop in the exploitable biomass in 2010 is expected based on the scientific survey indices.
• However, there is still some uncertainty as to the causes for the decrease in abundance as observed on these two scientific surveys in 2009.
• As it is preferable that the exploitation rate not increase, it would be necessary to reduce the catch level.

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