Science Response 2025/008

Stock Status Update of Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) on the Scotian Shelf and Southern Grand Banks in NAFO Divisions 3NOPs4VWX5Zc

Science Advice

Status

• The 2024 three-year mean exploitable biomass index (51.9 kt) from the stratified random Industry-DFO Halibut Longline Survey is above the upper stock reference (USR) with a very high probability of being in the healthy zone.

Trends

• The 2024 index of exploitable biomass and the three-year mean are the highest in the time series. Inter-annual changes in the three-year mean have remained relatively stable through the time series with a small increase in 2024 from the previous year.
• Atlantic Halibut catch per tow in 2024 from the Maritimes Summer Ecosystem Research Vessel Survey was the second highest value in the time series. Catch from this survey increased between 2000 and 2011, followed by a decline, but has been increasing again since 2020.

Ecosystem and Climate Change Considerations

• Ecosystem and climate change considerations were taken into account in the most recent assessment framework review and were not further updated or reviewed during this interim-year update.

Stock Advice

• The three-year mean exploitable biomass of 51.9 kt corresponds to removals of 5,149 t under the harvest decision rule (HDR) for this stock.
• Removals of 5,149 t is within the maximum annual change of 15% from the 2024–2025 total allowable catch (TAC). It is 222 t (4.5%) more than last year’s TAC.

This Science Response Report results from the regional peer review of December 10th, 2024, on the Stock Status Update for 3NOPs4VWX5Zc Atlantic Halibut.

Science Response 2025/008 (PDF, 578 KB)

Data sets:

• MARITIMES RESEARCH VESSEL SURVEYS

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