Science Response 2015/009

Harvest advice for Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) in British Columbia waters for the 2015 season

Context

Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) from the Northeast Pacific (California Current) population have 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; 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 nor in 2014 during the annual summer pelagic trawl surveys conducted in BC waters, nor were any observed by the Canadian commercial Pacific Sardine fleet in either year. The California Current Pacific Sardine population has been declining since a peak in 2007.

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 tonnes to calculate potential harvest (DFO 2013). As described in the 2013 review (DFO 2013), a range in harvest rates (h) from 3-5% was selected in the calculation of potential harvest allowances.

This paper provides information on California Current Pacific Sardine population biomass, exploitation rates, commercial landings, and harvest options for the 2015 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 harvest advice.

This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process of January 2015 on the Harvest advice for Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) in British Columbia waters for 2015.

In order for the provided advice to be incorporated into this year’s management plan, the previous year’s assessment (spring 2014) is being used to calculate harvest options for the 2015 BC sardine season.

A formal Canadian assessment has not been undertaken in 2015 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 to the 2013 CSAS Science Advice Report (DFO 2013).

Complete document (PDF, 108 KB)

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