Research Document 1998/141
Assessment of the Scotian Shelf silver hake population in 1997, with projection of yield to 1999
By M.A. Showell
Abstract
An analytical assessment of the Scotian Shelf silver hake stock in 4VWX was conducted using updated catch-at-age (1979-97), research surveys, and commercial CPUE. The assessment results show abundance and biomass to be increasing in recent years, but as was the case in previous years, a retrospective pattern was apparent, with estimates of population size in the most recent year inflated. With adjustment on an age-by-age basis to account for this pattern, spawning stock biomass shows an increase between 1993 and 1998, to about 115,000 t. Exploitation rate has decreased since 1994 to about 20%, which is well below F 0.1. A projection of yield based on parameters derived from the population analysis at F 0.1 is estimated to be approximately 48,000 t. However, given recent declines in survey estimates of abundance and recruitment, cold temperatures observed on the Scotian Shelf in 1997-98, and catches of small silver hake by the Canadian fleet, catches should not increase from recent levels.
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