Terms of Reference

Regional Advisory Process

Meetings of the Regional Advisory Process for the Quebec Region

February 4-29, 2008

Maurice Lamontagne Institute

850, route de la mer, Mont-Joli, Qc

Background

DFO Quebec Science Branch, in collaboration with Gulf Region, reviews the status of some Gulf of St. Lawrence crustaceans and groundfish stocks in support of management of the fishery. The 2008 peers review will focus its attention on the resources indicated below.

Objectives

Snow crab (units 13 to 17, 12A – C)

• Provide scientific advice on the management of snow crab stocks in the Estuary and Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence: management units 13 to 17, 12A, 12B and 12C for the 2008 fishing season. The advice shall include:

- An assessment of the status of snow crab populations in management units 13 to 17, 12A, 12B and 12C, based on:

• except for area 13, commercial fishery statistics following the 2007 season (landings and effort, at-sea sampling). Indicators: commercial CPUE, carapace condition, size structure and mean carapace width for males;

• trap surveys conducted annually in collaboration with fishers. Indicators: CPUE of legal-size and sub-legal size crabs, maturity, size, spermatheca load and carapace condition of males;

• trawl survey(s) conducted annually in certain sectors or areas. Indicators: abundance index of legal-size and sub-legal size males, maturity, size of both males and females.

- Examination of the information for the reopening of area 13.

• Relation size-temperature and implications for the productivity;

• Discussion on the moratorium and proposition of a strategy of reopening.

- Perspectives and/or recommendations for 2008 based on a summary table of main indicators for the precautionary approach and short- and medium-term predictions.

Northern shrimp

• Provide scientific advice on the management of the Northern shrimp fishery in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in management units 8, 9, 10 and 12 for the 2008 fishing season. This advice shall include:

- An assessment of the status of shrimp populations in management units 8, 9, 10 and 12, based on:

• an analysis of commercial fishery statistics (landings, effort, catch per unit effort) and biological data from the commercial sampling program (size frequency);

• an analysis of landing data (abundance, biomass) and biological data (size frequency) from DFO research surveys from 1990 to 2007.

- An analysis of the importance of by-catches (among others, turbot, northern cod and capelin) during the directed fishery on northern shrimp.

- Perspectives for recruitment to the fishery and recommendations on the suitability to decrease, increase or roll over the TAC for the 2008 fishing season for each management unit.

American plaice

The last detailed assessment of American plaice in 4T was published in 2001 and covered the fishery up to the year 2000.

• Provide a scientific advice for the management of the Southern Gulf American plaice stock (4T) for 2008, specifically:

- A description of the fishery for 2001-2007, including a comparison with the results from previous years.

- An assessment of Southern Gulf American plaice stock status based on:

• official landing statistics for the seasons from 2001 to 2007 from the directed fishery, by-catch from other fisheries and any other sources;

• catch estimates based on average age and weight observed in the fishery;

• abundance indices from DFO’s scientific survey, the August mobile gear sentinel survey, resource users index with respect to stock abundance and commercial catch rates;

• appropriate analyses of stock status indicators (relative Fs, total mortality rates, etc.) and, if appropriate, a population analysis following a population model;

• a description of the results including sources of uncertainty;

- An overview of progress or results with a view to identifying reference points compliant with the application of the precautionary approach for this stock. These reference points could be based on stock abundance indicators from the scientific survey.

- An assessment of the consequences of various catch levels in 2008-2009 in terms of a harvesting strategy compliant with the precautionary approach based on reference points established for the stock.

Greenland halibut

• Provide scientific advice on the management of the Greenland halibut (turbot) stock in NAFO Divisions 4RST for the 2008 fishing season. This advice shall include:

- An assessment of the turbot stock, based on:

• commercial fishery statistics following the 2007 season (overall landing distribution, breakdown by division and fishing gear, yields and catch rates) and biological data resulting from the commercial sampling program (size structure);

• historical data from the DFO research survey up to 2007 (abundance index, biomass, size structure and geographical distribution of catches);

• data of the July mobile sentinel survey (abundance index, biomass, size structure and geographical distribution of catches);

• the assessment of the trends of abundance index and other available stock indicators (fishery, biology, etc.).

- Specific elements related to the production of a scientific advise such as:

• an update of the condition and maturity indicators;

• spatial distribution by size of class.

- Presentation of the framework for the precautionary approach

- Perspectives for 2008 based on available indicators.

Northern Gulf Cod

• Provide a scientific advice concerning the status of the northern Gulf cod stock (3Pn, 4RS) for 2008. This advice shall include:

- An assessment of the cod stock status based on:

• official landing statistics of the 2007 season derived from the directed fisheries, sentinel fisheries and cod by-catches in other fisheries (ZIFF);

• a review of other potential sources of information concerning fishing activities and complementary to official statistics such as consultations with the industry (Lower North-Shore and Newfoundland / Labrador), a post-season summary compiled by fisheries management, analyses of logbooks (< 45') and a questionnaire conducted with fishermen;

• an update of abundance index derived from sentinel fisheries with mobile gears (July) and fixed gears (gillnets and longline – comparison with other sentinel fisheries);

• an analysis of additional stations in the 10-20 fathoms zone since July 2003 mobile-gear sentinel survey;

• an investigation on various formulations of the sequential population analysis (SPA) to derive trends in terms of spawning stock, recruitment and fishing mortality. This analysis will include an estimation of the uncertainties associated with the assessment, specifically associated to spawning stock biomass and fishing mortality.

- Specific elements concerning the development of a scientific advice, such as:

• an update on biological indicators related to the condition, growth and maturity;

• an update of trends of a number of indicators relevant to abundance, productivity, fishing mortality and environment;

• an examination of the impact of the 2007 oceanographic conditions on cod;

• an examination of annual trends of the summer spatial distribution of cod along the coast based on sentinel fixed gear catch rates (longline and gillnet).

- Projections for 2008 based on the assessment of trends in the abundance index and other stock indicators as well as on risk analyses. Specifically, these analyses will include:

• an assessment of the trends in the stock and in the risks compared to baseline conservation thresholds (critical biomass). This assessment will address the results of projections on the basis of these critical biomasses and of the average mature biomass, including the probabilities of reaching these levels on a medium term period by considering factors such as recruitment and stock productivity;

• if possible, apply the decision rules to the most recent data if these rules are accepted and ended.

- The outcomes of this assessment will consist of:

• a description, in the form of highlights, of the assessment conclusions, including comments on the risks that the stock could be below limit reference points;

• a report on the stock status to be completed for the end of March 2008.

Southern Gulf Cod

• Provide a scientific advice for the management of the Southern Gulf cod stock (4T- 4Vn (November-April)) for 2008, specifically:

- A description of the fishery in 2007 including a comparison with the results from previous years:

- An assessment of Southern Gulf cod stock status based on:

• official landing statistics for the 2007 season from the directed fishery, sentinel fisheries, cod by-catch from other fisheries and all other sources;

• catch estimates based on average age and weight observed in the fishery;

• abundance indices from DFO’s scientific survey, the August mobile gear sentinel survey, the longline sentinel survey, resource users index with respect to stock abundance and commercial catch rates;

• a population model (sequential population analysis) like the one used in the most recent assessment, unless this type of analysis is deemed unsuitable for valid reasons.

• other appropriate analyses of stock status indicators (relative Fs, total mortality rate, etc.);

• a description of results including sources of uncertainty;

- An assessment of the consequences of various harvesting levels (1,000 t segments) in 2008-2009:

• with respect to reference points compliant with the precautionary approach established for the stock, and;

• with respect to other indicators, provide risk analyses of change in spawning stock biomass in early 2009.

- A presentation of the analysis of long-term population viability in the absence of a fishery and for various catch levels (1,000 t segments) with anticipated natural mortality rates.

Products

• CSAS Science Advisory Report for American plaice (), Greeland halibut (4RST), northern Gulf cod (3Pn4RS) and southern Gulf cod (4T-4Vn)

• CSAS Proceedings summarizing the discussion.

• CSAS Research documents

Participation

• DFO Science and Fisheries Management

• External experts

• Industry