Science Advisory Report 2016/054

Assessment of the Green Sea Urchin Fishery in the Northern Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2015

Summary

• Annual green sea urchin landings along the North Shore were sporadic and generally low (<145 t) until 2005. Since 2006, they have remained above 150 t and peaked at 698 t in 2007. Most of these landings came from Area 9. Although landings have been reported for Areas 3, 7, 10, 11, 12 and 14 since 1991, they have been either intermittent or insignificant. Area 11 was the only one of these areas that reported landings for the 2016 spring season. Since 2004, 44 to 91% of total landings in Quebec came from subarea 9-1.

Area 9

• Since 2012, landings have fluctuated around 420 t and come almost exclusively from Batture aux Alouettes in subarea 9-1. The total number of fishing days authorized in this area has been used every year since this regulation came into force in 2010. However, the number of diver-hours (dh) has been increasing since 2010, except in 2015 when there was a slight decrease. The average catch per unit effort (CPUE) (kg/dh) is relatively stable and has been above the historical average since 2010. The average commercial size of landed sea urchins has been stable since 2010.

Area 11

• Preliminary landings for spring 2016 were 23 t. It was the first year since 2009 where landings increased. Average CPUE for spring 2016 was comparable to those in 2006–2008 when fishing effort was relatively high.

This Science Advisory Report is from the June 9, 2016 Assessment of the Green Sea Urchin Fishery in the Northern Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2015. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

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