Terms of Reference

Assessment of capelin (4RST)

Quebec Region Science Advisory Process

February 17, 2011
Mont-Joli, Qc

Chairperson: Martin Castonguay

Context

DFO Quebec Science Branch reviews the status of some Gulf of St. Lawrence invertebrates and fish stocks in support of the fisheries management. Fisheries and Aquaculture management has requested a scientific advice on capelin (4RST) in 2011.

Objectives

Provide a scientific advice on the management of capelin stocks of NAFO Divisions 4RST for 2011 and 2012 fishing seasons. This advice shall include.

• An assessment of the status of capelin stocks based on:
  • An analysis of the commercial fishery statistics following the 2008 fishing season (overall distribution of landings and breakdown by province, division, unit area, month and fishing gear);
  • A detailed examination of the catches made in Newfoundland/Quebec Lower Norht Shore/Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence: calculation of a performance index for the purse seine fishery;
  • An analysis of the biological data collected in the main landing ports by port samplers or ta sea by observers (size structure and some biological parameters;
  • Calculation of the caplein by-catches by the shrimpers of the Gulf of St. Lawrence;
  • Data from the CCGS Teleost research surveys conducted in the northern and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (dispersion, occupancy, geographic range and concentration indices);
• Specific elements related to the update of the relevant data to the management of the stocks such as:
  • Comments from industry: questionnaire results concerning trap and «tuck» seine fishermen of the west coast of Newfoundland;
  • NAFO 4ST TAC;
  • The importance of capelin in the Ecosystem;
  • Summary and preliminary results of a pilot project concerning the risk analysis. Phase 1: Realization of pathway of effects models (PoE) applied to the conservation of capelin. Phase 2: Development of risk assessment tools and application to the capelin spawning and larvae retention area.
• The identification and prioritization of research projects to be considered for the future.
• Perspectives and/or recommendations on the pertinence of decreasing, increasing or reporting the TAC for the 2011 and 2012 fishing seasons.

Expected publications

CSAS Science Advisory Report on capelin (4RST).
CSAS Proceedings summarizing the discussion.
CSAS Research documents

Participation

DFO Science and Fisheries Management
Fishing Industry
Aboriginal Communities / Organizations
Provincial representatives