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Assessments of Redfish in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Subarea 0, and Subarea 2 and Division 3K

Zonal Peer Review – Newfoundland and Labrador, and Central and Arctic Regions

October 19-21, 2016
St. John’s, NL

Chairperson: Darrell Mullowney

Context

Three species of redfish are present in the Northwest Atlantic; Deepwater Redfish (Sebastes mentella), Acadian Redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) and Golden Redfish (Sebastes marinus).  They are nearly impossible to distinguish by their appearance and therefore are managed as a complex.

The status of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Subarea 2 + Division 3K redfish was last fully assessed in 2001 (DFO 2001, Power 2001), while Subarea 0 has never been included in past assessments because there is no history of commercial redfish fishing in this area.  In April 2010, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the Deepwater Redfish/Acadian Redfish complex in Canada.  During the assessment, Deepwater Redfish were divided into two Designatable Units (DUs): Northern population and Gulf of St. Lawrence - Laurentian Channel population.  The Northern population is distributed from Baffin Bay south to Grand Banks and corresponds to NAFO Subareas 0+2 and Divisions 3KLNO.  COSEWIC designated the Northern DU as Threatened.  Acadian Redfish, which is found from the Gulf of Maine to the Labrador Sea, was considered as two designated units: Atlantic population (Threatened) and Bonne Bay population (Special Concern) (COSEWIC 2010).  Redfish is currently going through the Species at Risk Act (SARA) listing decision process.

In 2010, Limit Reference Points (LRPs) were developed for the population based on data for redfish from NAFO Subarea 2 + Division 3K using a Bayesian surplus production model (DFO 2012).  During this meeting it was determined that the two redfish species that comprise the stock were in the critical zone of DFO’s precautionary approach framework (DFO 2012).

DFO Fisheries and Aquaculture Management requested the current assessments to review the LRPs, provide detailed advice on the status of the stocks, and inform management decisions for the 2017 fishing season.  The assessment will also determine if this population can support a commercial harvest in NAFO Subarea 0, thus allowing DFO to better evaluate an existing emerging fisheries proposal to harvest redfish in this area.

Objectives: Subarea 0 Redfish

Provide advice on the status of the Deepwater Redfish/ Acadian Redfish complex in NAFO Subarea 0 (i.e., Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, and Hudson Strait).  Specifically, the meeting will address the following objectives to the extent possible:

  1. Provide an ecosystem overview (e.g., physical oceanography) for NAFO Subarea 0 and an overview of the biology of redfish;
  2. Assess trends in catch-effort and biological data (e.g., distribution, abundance, length-frequency) collected up to 2015;
  3. Provide advice on allowable harm, including bycatch for each species within NAFO Subarea 0, and identify associated uncertainties; and,
  4. Discuss current knowledge gaps and research needs.

Objectives: Subarea 2 + Division 3K Redfish

Provide scientific advice on the stock status of 2 + 3K redfish. This advice shall include:

  1. An ecosystem overview (e.g., physical and biological oceanographic environment, predators, prey) for NAFO Subarea 2 + Division 3K.
  2. A description of the biology of redfish and its distribution;
  3. A description of redfish landings as by-catch in other fisheries;
  4. An update of abundance and biomass indices derived from the DFO research vessel (RV) survey, including size structure and geographic distribution of catch;
  5. Analyses of relative year class strength of redfish as it relates to long-term growth potential;
  6. Assessment of the impact on biomass trajectory of allowing relative harvest rates of up to 3% of survey biomass, using a 3-5 year average survey biomass to monitor change, and calculate Total Allowable Catch (TAC);
  7. Evaluate the current LRPs for this stock (DFO 2012). If they are still considered valid, determine stock status relative to the LRPs. However, if they are found to be invalid, determine an appropriate proxy; and,
  8. Identify information that be collected through the DFO RV survey and/or commercial fishery to help future assessments, and aid the evaluation/establishment of species-specific reference points in the future.

Expected Publications

Expected Participation

References

COSEWIC 2010. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Deepwater Redfish/Acadian Redfish complex Sebastes mentella and Sebastes fasciatus, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 80 pp.

DFO. 2001. SA2 + Div. 3K Redfish. DFO Science Stock Status Report A2-15(2001).

DFO. 2012. Reference points for redfish (Sebastes mentella and Sebastes fasciatus) in the northwest Atlantic. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2012/004.

Power, D. 2001. The status of Redfish in SA2 + Div. 3K. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2001/102.

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