Science Response 2017/021

Stock Status Update of Atlantic Halibut on the Scotian Shelf and Southern Grand Banks (NAFO Divs. 3NOPs4VWX5Zc)

Context

Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) is the largest of the flatfishes and ranges widely over Canada's East Coast. The management unit definition (3NOPs4VWX5Zc) is based largely on tagging results which indicate that Atlantic Halibut move extensively throughout the Canadian North Atlantic with smaller fish moving further than larger fish.

The Atlantic Halibut fishery was unregulated until a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) was implemented in 1988 and a legal size limit (≥81 cm total length) was established in 1994. The Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Research Vessel (RV) survey provides an index of abundance for incoming recruitment. An Industry-DFO Longline Halibut Survey (Halibut Survey) on the Scotian Shelf and southern Grand Banks (3NOPs4VWX5Zc) was initiated in 1998 to provide an index of exploitable (≥81 cm total length) Atlantic Halibut on the Scotian Shelf and southern Grand Banks. A new assessment model and assessment procedures were adopted in November 2014 (Cox et al. 2016) to inform Fisheries and Aquaculture Management (FAM) of the status of the Halibut resource and to provide harvest level advice based on standardized catch rates from the Halibut Survey and stratified mean numbers-per-tow from the DFO Summer RV survey (4VWX). Science advice provided in December 2014 and 2015 used this new procedure (DFO 2015, 2017).

FAM asked Science to update and evaluate abundance indicators, landings and fishing mortality estimated from tagging data.  This response provides 2017-2018 TAC advice based on the Objectives and Harvest Strategy adopted at the Scotia-Fundy Groundfish Advisory Committee (SFGAC) meeting in March 2015.

This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process of December 1, 2016, on the Stock Status Update of 3NOPs4VWX5 Atlantic Halibut.

Complete document (PDF, 406 KB)

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