Research Document - 2003/035

2003 evaluation of 4VWX herring

By Power, M.J., Stephenson, R.L., Annis, L.M., Clark, K.J., Fife, F.J. and Melvin, G.D.

Abstract

Fishery, sampling, acoustic survey and research survey results were compiled and used to evaluate the status of herring in the NAFO Division 4VWX area.

Landings from the SW Nova Scotia/Bay of Fundy spawning component amounted to 77,050t. Age composition of the catch contained a small fraction of fish older than the 1994 year-class (age 8). Recruiting herring from the 1998 and 2000 year-classes dominated the fishery in 2002.

Spawning stock biomass (SSB) in the SW Nova Scotia/Bay of Fundy spawning component was estimated from acoustic surveys of spawning grounds to be about 543,000t. For standard survey areas the SSB was 542,000t representing an increase over the past year. More spawning fish were documented on German Bank than in previous years. There was evidence of reappearance of spawning on the Seal Island grounds, but this area and Trinity Ledge remained well below historical levels.

The 2002 herring fishery on the Scotian Shelf banks landed 7,000t substantially less than in 2001. Catches were primarily in May and June in the vicinity of ‘The Patch’ as well as in the Western Hole/Roseway Bank areas. The July bottom trawl survey continued to indicate a general high abundance and widespread distribution of herring on the banks west of Sable Island, with the last 5 years the highest on record.

Changes to management and recent research efforts have improved the knowledge of the fishery in four of the coastal Nova Scotia spawning areas, but there remains the problem of a lack of biological and fishery information for much of this component. There is continued concern for the status of the Bras d'Or Lakes spawning herring.

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