Science Response 2009/011

Biomass of northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and striped shrimp (Pandalus montagui) in Shrimp Fishing Area 2

Context

In March 2008, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science assessed the status of shrimp stocks in Shrimp Fishing Areas (SFA) 0,2 and 3 (DFO 2008). SFA2 was not assessed in its entirety but based on two survey study areas; SFA2 Exploratory (SFA2EX: SFA2 east of 63°W and north of 63°N), and the Resolution Island Study Area (RISA: 66°W-63°W and 60°30’N-63°N) (Figure 1).SFA2 includes SFA2EX and the eastern half of RISA west of 63°W, east of 64°30'W, which corresponds to SFA2 Commercial (SFA2CM).  Two species of shrimp, northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and striped shrimp (P. montagui), are found in SFA2. P. borealis is the dominant species in SFA2EX whereas both species are highly mixed in RISA.

On 17 April 2009, DFO Fisheries and Aquaculture Management (FAM) requested Science advice on the fishable and female spawning stock biomass indices for SFA2CM, SFA2EX and the whole of SFA2 (Figure 1) for both shrimp species based on the most current data available. The advice was requested to support the offshore northern shrimp license holders who are seeking Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for SFAs 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. On 16 March 2009, the offshore sector requested provisional Limit Reference Points (LRP) and harvest control rules for SFA2 are in place prior to the main MSC assessment expected in the summer of 2009, as was already done for SFAs 5-7. Developing provisional LRPs for SFA2 first require estimates from SFA2 as a whole. As SFA2 has never been assessed as a whole and the next full assessment won’t be undertaken until early in 2010 which is after the advice is needed, a Science Special Response Process was undertaken.

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