Research Document - 1999/073

Update of Stock Status of Yellowtail Flounder on Georges Bank

By J. D. Nielson, S. Gavaris and P. Perley

Abstract

Combined Canada/USA landings of yellowtail flounder on Georges Bank have been increasing over the past four years, and population biomass has been increasing since 1995. Other measures of stock abundance, such as fishery catch rates and survey size composition, support the view that the resource is recovering. Results from surplus production analyses suggest that total population biomass at the beginning of 1999 is about ¾ of the level that can produce maximum sustainable yield. Exploitation rates have been low during the past three years. Recent recruitment is improved relative to the 1980s, and the 1997 year-class appears to be the strongest since 1980. With combined Canada/USA catches of 3100 t in 1999 (equivalent to total catches in 1998), there is a low risk of exceeding F_0.1, and a high probability that the population biomass will continue to increase. A major source of uncertainty in the assessment is the size of the 1997 year-class. That year-class is expected to make up about 42% of the population biomass at the beginning of 2000, and comprise about 13% of the fishery catch in 1999.

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