Terms of Reference

Stock Framework for American Eel and Elvers

Regional Peer Review – Maritimes Region

October 26-27, 2016
Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Tana Worcester

Context

The American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, is a widely distributed fish that occurs from northern South America to Greenland and Iceland. They are panmictic (all are members of a single population), catadromous (spawn at sea and spend a portion of their lives in freshwater) and semelparous (a single reproductive episode followed by death). Spawning occurs in the Sargasso Sea well to the south of Canadian territorial waters. Juveniles recruit as glass eels (elvers) to Canadian continental waters in the year following the year of their hatch.  In Canada, the American eel can be found in nearly all the accessible fresh, brackish and coastal waters from the Canada-United States of America border in the south to Lake Melville, Labrador in the north, including the Laurentian Basin of the provinces of Ontario and Québec and the island of Newfoundland. They have historically been fished for commercial and recreational purposes and by indigenous peoples for Food, Social, and Ceremonial (FSC) purposes throughout much of their Canadian range. The Maritimes Region commercial fishery is the only eel fishery in Canada that results in the removals of eels as recruits (glass eels or elvers), as well as juveniles (yellow eel), and adults (silver).  All removals by fisheries occur pre-spawning.

The status of the eel and elver fisheries in Maritimes Region was last assessed in 1996 (Jessop 1996a,b). More recently, indices of general status were compiled in support of a national pre-COSEWIC and Recovery Potential Assessment of the American eel (Bradford 2013; DFO 2014) and to help measure progress towards reducing human-induced mortality by 50 percent (DFO 2010).  The 2012 COSEWIC assessment designated the American eel as threatened.  They are currently under consideration for listing under the Species at Risk Act (COSEWIC 2012).

In support of the 2017 American Eel and elver fisheries, DFO Maritimes Fisheries and Aquaculture Management has asked DFO Science for an assessment of resource status and the consequences of various harvest levels and strategies.  A Framework is required to establish the scientific basis for the provision of advice to management in a manner that is consistent with the DFO precautionary approach (DFO 2009). The assessment of the stock will be completed in January 2017, following the completion of the Framework.

Objectives

The objectives of this regional peer review are:

• Review biological and ecological information (e.g. life-history, demographic data).
• Review fishery-dependent and fishery independent eel and elver data inputs for developing indices of regional stock status, quantifying losses from human activities, and supporting the development of reference points for the Maritimes Region eel and elver fisheries.  
• Develop the assessment schedule, interim reporting procedures and how indicators would be used to trigger an earlier than scheduled assessment.

Expected Publications

• Proceedings
• Research Document(s)

Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Resource Management
• DFO Policy and Economics
• Aboriginal Communities / Organizations
• Provincial Governments (NS and NB)
• Industry Representatives
• Environmental Non-Government Organizations
• Academics

References

Bradford, R.G. 2013. 2010 Status of American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) in Maritimes Region. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2012/083. iv + 39 p.

Chaput, G., and D. Cairns. 2011. Mortality Reference Points for the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) and an Application for Evaluating Cumulative Impacts of Anthropogenic Activities. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2011/053. iv + 28 p.

COSEWIC. 2012. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the American Eel Anguilla rostrata in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xii + 109 pp.

DFO. 2009. A Fishery Decision-making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach.  Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

DFO. 2010. Status of American Eel and Progress on Schieving Management Goals.  DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2010/062.

DFO. 2014. Recovery Potential Assessment of American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) in Eastern Canada. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2013/078.

Jessop, B.M. 1995. Justification for and Status of American Eel Elver Fisheries in Scotia-Fundy Region. DFO Atl. Fish. Res. Doc. 95/2. 10 p.

Jessop, B.M. 1996a. The Status of American Eels Anguilla rostrata in the Scotia-Fundy Area of the Maritime Region as Indicated by Catch and License Statistics. DFO Atl. Fish.Res. Doc. 96/118. 15 p.

Jessop, B.M. 1996b. Review of the American Eel Elver Fisheries in Scotia-Fundy Area, Maritime Region. DFO Atl. Fish. Res. Doc. 96/04. 7 p.