Terms of Reference

Review of Indicators and Reference Points for the Maritimes Region Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa), and Status of the southwest New Brunswick Sea Cucumber population

Regional Peer Review - Maritimes Region

May 28-30, 2019
Location: St. Andrews Biological Station

Chairperson: Tara McIntyre

Context

Cucumaria frondosa is the most common Sea Cucumber in the North Atlantic. It is a species found in dense aggregations of 5-50 individuals per m² (Hamel and Mercier 1995; Singh et al. 2001) although its distribution is patchy in some areas. This species is small and thin-walled relative to other Sea Cucumber species commonly harvested elsewhere. This species has a football shape, with a leathery skin ranging in colour from yellowish white to dark brownish-black and is covered with five rows of retractile tube feet used to attach to the bottom (Jordan 1972; Gosner 1978). As suspension feeders (Singh et al. 1998; Hamel and Mercier 1998) and prey to several other species (Hamel and Mercier 2008), adults of C. frondosa form a key component of many cold-temperate ecosystems. There is very limited information on life history and stock structure of Sea Cucumbers in the Maritimes Region. Although the fishery does report on indicators, their reliability has never been achieved. Sustainable exploitation rates for this fishery are unknown, as are the consequences of removals on ecosystem structure and function.

The Sea Cucumber fishery in the Maritimes Region has been divided into four components for evaluation and management:

1. Southwest New Brunswick
2. 4W Mid-shore
3. 4W Offshore
4. 4Vn

Fisheries Management has requested advice from DFO Science on the reliability of the current stock status indicators used for all fishing areas, and the status and impact of the southwest New Brunswick fishery to date on the Sea Cucumber population. No stock assessment framework has previously been adopted for this stock, although DFO science advice was provided on this fishery in 2006 before it moved from Stage I Experimental to Stage II Exploratory status (DFO 2006), and in 2009 following an assessment of the Stage II Exploratory fishery (DFO 2009a; Rowe et al. 2009). In addition, a workshop on science and management strategies for Sea Cucumbers was held in 2008 (DFO 2009b).

Objective

• Review recent fisheries information and the reliability of current stock status indicators for all Sea Cucumber fishing areas in the Maritimes Region.
• Review additional and/or alternative data sources for monitoring the stock status.
• Evaluate reference points for each Sea Cucumber fishery zone or group of zones in the Maritimes Region.
• Evaluate the status of the SWNB Sea Cucumber population(s) in the Maritimes Region.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of current management strategies and consequences of different harvest levels on the SWNB Sea Cucumber population(s) in the Maritimes Region.
• Develop an assessment schedule and monitoring framework for moving forward.
• Discuss research and analytical priorities for developing a sustainable harvest strategy for each management area.

Expected Publications

• Research Document
• Proceedings
• Science Advisory Report

Expected Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Resource Management
• Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
• Academics
• Aboriginal communities/organizations
• Fishing industry
• Non-government organizations

References

DFO. 2006. Southwest New Brunswick sea cucumber fishery. DFO Mar. Reg. Sci. Resp. 2006/13.

DFO. 2009a. Southwest New Brunswick Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) Exploratory Fishery
Assessment. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2009/014.

DFO. 2009b. Proceedings of a Workshop on Canadian Science and Management Strategies for Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa); 17-18 June 2008. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2009/023.

Gosner, K.I. 1979. "Sea cucumbers: Class Holothuroidea". In A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore: Invertebrates and Seaweeds of the Atlantic Coast from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras, Newark: Houghton Mifflin Company Boston

Hamel, J.F., and A. Mercier. 1995. Spawning of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the
St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada. SPC Beche-de-mer Info. Bull. 7: 12-18.

Hamel, J.F. and Mercier, A. 1998. Diet and Feeding Behaviour of the Sea Cucumber Cucumaria frondosa in the St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada. Can. J. Zool. 76: 1194-1198.

Hamel, J.F., and A. Mercier. 2008. Population status, fisheries and trade of sea cucumbers in temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. In V. Toral-Granda, A. Lovatelli and M. Vasconcellos (eds). Sea cucumbers. A global review of fisheries and trade. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 516. Rome, FAO. Pp. 257-291.

Jordan, A.J. 1972. On the ecology and the behaviour of Cucumaria frondosa (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) at Lamoine Beach, Maine, Department of Ecology, University of Maine at Orono.

Rowe, S., P. Comeau, R. Singh, S. Coffen-Smout, M. Lundy, G. Young, J. Simon, and H. Vandermeulen. 2009. Assessment of the exploratory fishery for sea cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) in southwest New Brunswick. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2009/005. viii + 23 p.

Singh, R., MacDonald, B.A., Lawton, P., Thomas, M. 1998. Feeding Response of the Dendrochirote Sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) to changing food concentrations in the laboratory. Can. J. Zool. 76: 1842-1849.

Singh, R., MacDonald, B.A., Lawton, P., Thomas, M. 2001. The reproductive biology of dendrochirote sea cucumber Cucumaris frondosa (Echinodermata: Holothuriodea) using new quantitative methods. Invertebrate Reproduction and Development. 40: 125-141.