Terms of Reference

Estimated abundance and sustainable harvest levels for the Jayko and Halokvik (30 Mile) rivers in the Cambridge Bay commercial fishery, 2010–2015

Regional Peer Review – Central and Arctic Region

January 24-26, 2017
Winnipeg, MB

Chairperson: Kevin Hedges

Context

Arctic Char, Salvelinus alpinus, in the Cambridge Bay region of Nunavut is a valuable resource, historically used for subsistence purposes, which has also been harvested commercially since 1960. The Cambridge Bay commercial fishery was last assessed in 2010 (DFO 2013) when the harvest levels were considered to be sustainable. In 2011, preliminary precautionary reference points were developed based on available data for the Cambridge Bay fishery as a whole (DFO 2014). As the fishery is currently managed by waterbody, the ultimate goal under the Sustainable Fisheries Framework is to establish limit reference points for each waterbody in the fishery.

In 2014, DFO published the Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) for the Cambridge Bay Arctic Char Commercial Fishery, Nunavut Settlement Area. The IFMP identifies an ongoing need to update population abundance estimates and establish sustainable harvest level recommendations for commercial waterbodies. The goal is to ensure that the fishery will continue to be sustainable over the long term. As a result, DFO Resource Management has requested Science advice on the current status and sustainable harvest levels for the Jayko and Halokvik waterbodies, two of the four main waterbodies associated with this commercial fishery.

Objectives

The objectives of this meeting are to undertake a science-based peer review of all available information relevant to providing advice on the status for Arctic Char stocks from the Jayko and Halokvik rivers. Specifically, the meeting will address the following objectives:

1. Assess trends in harvest, catch-effort and biological fishery-dependent data through the Cambridge Bay plant sampling program and the Nunavut General Monitoring Plan;
2. Assess trends in fishery-independent catch-effort and biological data collected (2010–2015) as part of the fishery-independent sampling program;
3. Incorporate these data into population models to estimate the population abundance/biomass, sustainable harvest levels, and identify associated uncertainties;
4. Develop reference points for each river under a precautionary approach framework; and
5. Discuss research needs and current monitoring for Arctic Char in these river systems.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Document(s)

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (e.g., Science and Resource Management)
• Kitikmeot Foods Ltd. (Nunavut Development Corporation)
• Ekaluktutiak Hunters and Trappers Organization
• Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Environment
• Academics
• Other invited experts

References

DFO. 2013. Update assessment of the Cambridge Bay Arctic Char Fishery, 1960 to 2009. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2013/051.

DFO. 2014. Precautionary reference points consistent with the fishery decision-making framework for Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2014/051.