Terms of Reference

Stock Status Update of 4VWX Silver Hake

Regional Science Response Process – Maritimes Region

December 1, 2016
Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Lottie Bennett

Context

Silver Hake (Merluccius bilinearis) is a demersal member of the gadoid family occurring in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean from Cape Hatteras to the Grand Banks and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A population of Silver Hake occurs on the Scotian Shelf in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 4VWX. This population aggregates in deep water depressions on the Scotian Shelf (Emerald and LaHave basins) and in the warm slope water, except during the spawning period from July-September when large aggregations occur on the shelf in shallow waters surrounding Emerald and Sable Island banks. Silver Hake exhibit relatively rapid growth with females growing faster than males. Maximum age is 12 years. The last framework review for 4VWX Silver Hake was completed in November 2012 (Stone et al. 2013), with the last full assessment of 4VWX Silver Hake being conducted in December 2012 (DFO 2013). A stock status update for 4VWX Silver Hake occurred in December 2015 (DFO 2016).

Objectives

The objective of this Regional Science Response process is to review and evaluate biological and fishery information on 4VWX Silver Hake. In particular, provide information and identify any trends on the following indices:

• fishery landings from previous years;
• Research Vessel (RV) survey biomass and length composition;
• recruitment index (age 1 from the RV survey); and
• description of biomass and exploitation in relation to adopted reference points.

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Resource Management  

References

DFO. 2013. 2012 Assessment of 4VWX Silver Hake. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2013/018.

DFO. 2016. Scotian Shelf Silver Hake (NAFO Divs. 4VWX) Stock Status Update for 2015-2016. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2016/027.

Stone, H.H., D. Themelis, A.M. Cook, D.S. Clark, M.A. Showell, G. Young, W.E. Gross, P.A. Comeau, and L.A. Alade. 2013. Silver Hake 2012 Framework Assessment: Data Inputs and Exploratory Modelling. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. v + 133 p.