Research Document - 2001/139
Inshore Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus, S. malliger, S. caurinus, S. melanops, S. nigrocinctus, and S. nebulosus) Stock Assessment for the West Coast of Canada and Recommendations for Management
By Yamanaka, K.L., Lacko, L.C.
Abstract
The available data for stock assessment is insufficient to recommend species specific catch quotas for the five management areas on the Pacific coast of British Columbia. However, this document does provide evidence of significant fishing effects on yelloweye and quillback rockfish populations at research survey index sites and other fishing locations in B.C. The level of fishing mortality at these index sites is likely indicative of inshore rockfish fishing mortality within the rockfish management region and possibly throughout B.C. Given the biology of inshore rockfish, together with the inability to assess total catch and the evidence of excessive fishing mortality, it is recommended that a portion of the rockfish population in each management area be completely protected from harvest through spatial management measures such as harvest refugia (areas closed to fishing) as a precautionary measure to promote conservation. In addition, comparable reductions in fishing effort in the remaining areas open to fishing must be accomplished or exceeded if managers chose to remain with the status quo or begin the rebuilding of stocks. Improvements to catch data, stock monitoring indices as well as stock assessment methods must continue to enable the possibility of an assessment of inshore rockfish stock status in the future.
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