Terms of Reference

Stock Assessment of Eastern Scotian Shelf Shrimp in Shrimp Fishing Areas (SFAs) 13-15

Regional Peer Review – Maritimes Region

December 7, 2016
Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Thomas Wheaton

Context

The Northern or Pink Shrimp, Pandalus borealis, is the only shrimp species of commercial importance in the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Maritimes Region. The fishery consists of 28 DFO Maritimes Region-based licenses (fished by 9 vessels in 2014), mostly less than 65 ft. length overall, and 14 DFO Gulf Region-based licenses (fished by 5 vessels in 2014) 65-100 ft. length overall. All mobile licenses have been under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) since 1998. A competitive trap fishery with 14 licenses (7 active in 2014) is largely restricted to Chedabucto Bay. The fishery operates under an ‘evergreen’ management plan, which documents sharing agreements between fleet sectors. The status of Eastern Scotian Shelf shrimp was last assessed in November 2014 (DFO 2015). A framework was completed in February 2015 (DFO 2016a) followed by a stock status update in December 2015 (DFO 2016b).

Objectives

The objectives of this regional peer review process are:

• Assess the overall status of Eastern Scotian Shelf shrimp (Shrimp Fishing Areas 13-15) as of the fall of 2016, including stock abundance and exploitation rate.
• Evaluate the consequences of different harvest levels during the 2017 fishery on stock abundance and exploitation rate.
• Update descriptive information related to the fishery, survey, biology, and ecosystem interactions of the target species.
• Report on the bycatch of non-target species in observed trips in the 2015 and 2016 fishery, including the abundance of bycatch species relative to the amount of shrimp caught in the fishery that year and any notable changes in their occurrence relative to previous years.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Document

Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Resource Management
• Province of Nova Scotia and Province of New Brunswick
• Aboriginal communities/organizations
• Industry
• Other

References

DFO. 2015.  Assessment of Northern Shrimp on the Eastern Scotian Shelf (SFAs 13-15). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2015/004.

DFO. 2016a. Proceedings of the Regional Assessment of an Eastern Scotian Shelf Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) Framework; April 14-15, 2015. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2016/002.

DFO. 2016b. Stock Status Update of Eastern Scotian Shelf  Shrimp in Shrimp Areas (SFAs) 13-15. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2016/001.