Science Response 2014/026

Harvest advice for Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) in British Columbia waters for the 2014 season

Context

Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) from the Northeast Pacific (California Current) population has a distribution that can range between Baja California and Southeast Alaska. In winter and spring months, most of the Pacific Sardine population resides in waters off the California coast. Prior to, and during summer months, large aggregations of Pacific Sardine migrate from key spawning habitat to more northern waters, but the mechanisms behind migratory patterns are unknown but may be affected by population size and oceanographic conditions. Typically, most Pacific Sardine that migrate into British Columbia (BC) waters are the larger and older fish in the population. Pacific Sardine were not observed in 2013 during the annual summer pelagic trawl survey conducted in BC waters, nor were any observed by the Canadian commercial Pacific Sardine fleet. The California Current Pacific Sardine population has been declining since a peak in 2006.

In 2013, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) adopted a new harvest control rule that applies a harvest rate to the estimate of age-1 and older (age 1+) biomass that exceeds 150,000 t to calculate potential harvest (DFO 2013).

This paper provides information on California Current Pacific Sardine population biomass, exploitation rates, commercial landings, and harvest options for the 2014 BC Pacific Sardine fishing season. Specific objectives of this report are to:

1. Report the results of applying the harvest control rule for a range of harvest rates from 0.03 to 0.05 in increments of 0.01;
2. Identify uncertainties associated with catch advice.

This Science Response results from the December 2013 review of Harvest advice for Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) in British Columbia Waters for 2014. A formal assessment has not been undertaken for 2014 and the following advice is based on multi-year methodology approved in 2013. As such, for a full understanding of Science recommendations, uncertainties, and future considerations, readers are referred the 2013 CSAS Science Advice Report (DFO 2013).

Complete document (PDF, 279 KB)

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