Terms of Reference

Management Strategy Evaluation Update: Evaluation of Management Procedures for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in the Strait of Georgia and the West Coast Vancouver Island Management Areas of British Columbia

Regional Science Response Process – Pacific Region

September 30, 2020
Virtual meeting

Chairperson: Jaclyn  Cleary

Context

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has committed to renewing the current Pacific Herring management framework to address a range of challenges to herring stocks and fisheries in British Columbia. Pacific Herring Renewal includes initiating a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process to evaluate the performance of candidate management procedures (MPs) against a range of hypotheses related to future stock and fishery dynamics. The purpose of the evaluation is to identify MPs (a combination of data, assessment method and harvest control rules) expected to provide acceptable outcomes related to conservation and fishery management objectives. Integral to the MSE is the selection of preferred MPs, which is an iterative process, involving the participation of First Nations, commercial fishing industry, recreational harvesters, governments, and non-government organizations.

A formal peer review of the Pacific Herring operating model and closed-loop simulation evaluation of MPs (modified from Cox et al. [2019] and DFO [2015]) was conducted for the West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) and Strait of Georgia (SoG) management areas (DFO 2019). The review focussed on simulation testing of MPs under three scenarios of assumed future trends in natural mortality, a dominant factor in Pacific Herring stock dynamics. These two management areas were chosen for evaluation for two reasons. First, the two areas exhibit contrasting stock and fishery histories. Second, a set of conservation and fishery objectives were identified in part through workshops with WCVI First Nations and industry participants.

The DFO Sustainable Fisheries Framework and Precautionary Approach (PA Framework; DFO 2009) calls for the identification of limit reference points (LRPs) to serve as thresholds to undesirable stock states. Limit reference points were presented and approved for the five major Pacific Herring stocks in February 2017 (DFO 2017, Kronlund et al. 2018). Closed-loop feedback simulation-testing of candidate MPs, to evaluate the consequences of LRP choice for each stock, was recommended as the next step. To do this, the LRP was operationalized into a measurable conservation objective as one of several core fisheries management objectives. Both the core and stock-specific objectives were included in this first cycle of the MSE process for SoG and WCVI (DFO 2018).

DFO Fisheries Management has requested that DFO Science provide an update on the performance of MPs via simulation testing for the SoG and WCVI management areas, in accordance with the Pacific Herring Renewal schedule (2-year MSE updates). This MSE update is to follow the methods of DFO 2019, implementing the same aggregate stock operating model, with the addition of stock assessment and fishery data from 2018 and 2019. The evaluation and advice that results from this Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Science Response (SR) process will support the renewal of the Pacific Herring management framework and will be used to support the development of the 2020/2021 Pacific Herring Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP).

Objectives

Guided by the DFO Fishery Decision-making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach (DFO 2009) under the Sustainable Fisheries Framework, a CSAS Science Response will be developed to:

1. Present updated historical operating model trends for SoG and WCVI stocks (1951-2019).
2. Present new objectives and MPs as informed by discussions with First Nations, the commercial industry and other stakeholders in the spring/summer of 2020.
3. Present the results of MP evaluations for SoG and WCVI stocks following methods of DFO 2019.
4. Characterize stock status relative to reference points for all operating model configurations.
5. Identify MPs for SoG and WCVI management areas that meet any pre-determined imperative objectives, and illustrate the trade-off outcomes relative to remaining objectives.

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• DFO Science and Fisheries Management
• First Nations
• Commercial and Recreational Fishing Industries
• Non-government Organizations

References

Cleary, J.S., Hawkshaw, S., Grinnell, M.H., and Grandin, C. 2018. Stock Assessment for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in British Columbia in 2017 and forecast for 2018. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc 2018/028.

Cox, S.P., Benson, A.J., Cleary, J.S, and Taylor, N.G. 2019. Candidate Limit Reference Points as a Basis for Choosing Among Alternative Harvest Control Rules for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2019/050. viii + 47 p.

DFO. 2009. A fishery decision-making framework incorporating the Precautionary Approach.

DFO. 2015. Candidate Limit Reference Points as a basis for choosing among alternative Harvest Control Rules for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2015/062.

DFO. 2017. The Selection and Role of Limit Reference Points for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2017/052.

DFO. 2018. Stock assessment for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in British Columbia in 2017 and forecast for 2018.  DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2018/002.

DFO. 2018b. Proceedings of the Pacific regional peer review of the Evaluation of Management Procedures for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in the Strait of Georgia and the West Coast of Vancouver Island Management Areas of British Columbia; July 25-26, 2018. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2018/nnn. In press.

DFO. 2019. Evaluation of Management Procedures for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in the Strait of Georgia and the West Coast of Vancouver Island Management Areas of British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2019/001.

DFO. 2020. Evaluation of management procedures for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert District and the Central Coast management areas of British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2020/003.

DFO. 2020b. Stock status update with application of management procedures for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in British Columbia: Status in 2019 and forecast for 2020. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2020/004.

Kronlund, A.R., Forrest, R.E., Cleary, J.S., and Grinnell, M.H. 2018. The Selection and Role of Limit Reference Points for Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in British Columbia, Canada. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2018/009. ix +125 p.