Terms of Reference

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:

• Description of the biology of whelk and its distribution in Quebec’s coastal waters;
• Description of the fishery including landings, fishing effort and management measures specific to the fishing areas;
• Analysis of catch per unit effort from the fishery;
• Description of the conservation approach used for this species;
• Analysis of data from the commercial sampling program;
• Analysis of data gathered during research survey in zone 1 and 2 in Upper North Shore (density, recruitment and size structure) and assessment of the dredge efficectiveness to harvest whelk;
• Identification and prioritization of research projects to be considered for the future.
• Evaluation of the possibility of extending to whelk the protection areas established in 2010 for sea urchins, scallops, rock crab and sea cucumber in management units 11 to 14;
• Evaluation of the possibility of setting up a system of carry forward of catches;
• Perspectives and/or recommendations on management measures for the 2012-2014 fishing seasons in areas 1 to 15.

Expected Publications

• CSAS Science Advisory Report on whelk in the Quebec inshore waters.
• CSAS Research document
• CSAS Proceedings summarizing discussions.

Participation

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