Science Response 2019/001

Status of Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in 2018 and forecast for 2019

Context

Pacific Herring abundance is assessed using a statistical catch-age (SCA) model. The 2017 assessment included updates to the model (Integrated Statistical Catch-Age Model; Martell et al., 2012), and a bridging analysis to support these changes (Cleary et al., 2018). Also new to the 2017 assessment was the estimation of stock productivity and current stock status relative to the new limit reference point (LRP) of 0.3SB0 (Kronlund et al., 2017). The structure of the 2017 model was not changed for the 2018 stock assessment.

In 2016 DFO committed to renewing the current management framework to address a range of challenges facing Pacific Herring stocks and fisheries in BC. Renewal of the management framework includes conducting a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process to evaluate the performance of candidate management procedures against a range of hypotheses about uncertain stock and fishery dynamics. As part of the MSE process, a CSAS regional peer review occurred July 25 and 26, 2018, where performance of Pacific Herring management procedures were assessed against conservation objectives for Strait of Georgia and West Coast of Vancouver Island stock assessment regions (DFO, 2018).

Estimated stock trajectories, current status of stocks for 2018, and harvest advice recommendations for 2019 refect methods of Cleary et al. (2018) and, where applicable, recommendations from the aforementioned July 2018 regional peer review. These recommendations are described in the section “Harvest recommendations for 2019”.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Pacific Fisheries Management Branch requested that DFO Pacific Science Branch assess the status of British Columbia (BC) Pacific Herring stocks in 2018 and recommend harvest advice for 2019 to inform the development of the 2018/2019 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan.

This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process of September 2019 on the Status of Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in 2018 and forecast for 2019.

Science Response 2019/001 (PDF, 3.06 MB)

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