Research Document 1998/144

The 1998 Assessment of Pollock (Pollachius virens) in NAFO Divisions 4VWX and Subdivision 5Zc

By John D. Neilson, Peter Perley, and Cecil Nelson

Abstract

For the first time in this stock assessment, the assessment employs information from the current year. Thus, new information is presented here from 1997 and 1998 (current up until the end of August). This updates the assessment presented last year that contained information from the previous year only.

Landings of pollock in the management unit 4VWX5Zc were 11,936 t in 1997, compared with a TAC of 15,000 t. With the exception of the large mobile gear sector, most sectors were able to catch close to their allocations. In contrast, landings for the partial year 1998 were 10,353 t against a quota of 20,000. Most fishermen reported a less positive fishery in 1998 than that experienced in 1997, with exception of those fishing on Georges Bank and some parts of western 4X. The geographic scope of the fishery become increasingly constricted, with a growing proportion of landings coming from western 4X.

The stock status evaluation was based on an analytical assessment employing landings statistics, sampling for size and age composition of the commercial catch and trends in commercial fishery catch rate. Because of a severe retrospective pattern in the population model, there is considerable uncertainty in the population model. Without adjustment for the retrospective pattern, the F_0.1 yield in 1999 is about 12,500 t (assumes total 1998 removals of 15,000 t). The 1999 yield that reflects the average retrospective pattern in F_0.1 catch calculated from 1995 to 1997 could be as low as 5000 t.

Complete document (PDF, 3,040 KB)

Accessibility Notice

This document is available in PDF format. If the document is not accessible to you, please contact the Secretariat to obtain another appropriate format, such as regular print, large print, Braille or audio version.