Terms of Reference

Stock Status Update of 4VWX5 Cusk

Regional Science Response Process – Maritimes Region

December 2, 2016
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Chairperson: Lottie Bennett

Context

Commercial fishery catch rates for Cusk (Brosme brosme) have declined since the 1980s. The species continues to be caught as bycatch in certain directed fisheries, although there are presently no surveys dedicated to sampling Cusk to estimate stock abundance or biomass. In 2003, Cusk was assessed as Threatened by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and in November 2007, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) undertook a Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) on the species (DFO 2008). In November 2012, Cusk was reassessed as Endangered by COSEWIC although, in 2013, the Governor in Council decided not to add Cusk to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk set out in Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act. In February 2014, DFO updated its RPA for Cusk (DFO 2014). A methodology for identifying reference points for the species was accepted in February 2012 (Harris et al., 2012), with the stock status in relation to the reference points subsequently reviewed in December 2014 as an update (DFO 2015). The most recent stock status update for 4VWX5 Cusk was held in December 2015 (DFO 2016).

Objectives

The objective of this Regional Science Response process is to provide updated advice on the stock status by identifying the three-year geometric mean of the Cusk catch per unit effort from the DFO-Industry longline survey relative to the Upper Stock Reference (26.6 kg/1000 hooks) and the Limit Reference Point (13.3 kg/1000 hooks).

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Resource Management

References

DFO. 2008. Recovery Potential Assessment for Cusk (Brosme brosme). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2008/024.

DFO. 2014. Update to the Recovery Potential for Cusk in Canadian Waters. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2014/048.

DFO. 2015. Stock Status Update of Cusk (Brosme brosme) in NAFO Divisions 4VWX5Z Under the Precautionary Approach Framework. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2015/005.

DFO. 2016. Status of Cusk (Brosme brosme) in NAFO Divisions 4VWX5Z Under the Precautionary Approach Framework. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2016/014.