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Assessment of the whelk fishery in the Quebec’s inshore waters

Regional Peer Review - Quebec Region

February 6, 2012
Mont-Joli, QC

Chairperson: Charley Cyr

Context

The whelk commercial fishery began in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in the 1940s. It expanded to the North Shore in the early 1990s and in 2003 in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Landings in recent years have been about 1,300 t and came mostly from the North Shore. The whelk fishery is an inshore activity that is practiced using mainly conical traps.

Quebec waters are divided into 15 fishing areas to which access is limited to a restricted number of fishermen. The effort is also controlled by a fishing season and a number of traps. In addition, catches are limited by quota in Zones 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15.

At the request of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Branch, resource assessment is done every three years. The last whelk stock review was done in 2009. The objective of the review is to determine whether changes that have occurred in the stock status necessitate adjustments to management plans based on the conservation approach used.

Objectives

Provide scientific advice on the management of whelk stocks in Quebec’s inshore waters (management units 1 to 15) for fishing seasons 2012 to 2014. This advice shall include:

Expected Publications

Participation

Notice

Participation to CSAS peer review meetings is by invitation only.

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