Terms of Reference

Review of Methods for Developing Catch Limits for Greenland Cockle (Serripes groenlandicus) and Northern Propellerclam (Cyrtodaria siliqua) in the Banquereau and Grand Bank Offshore Clam Fisheries

Regional Advisory Meeting – Maritimes Region

March 10-11, 2021
Virtual meeting

Chairperson: Lottie Bennett

Context

The Offshore Clam fishery in the Canadian Atlantic operates on both the Scotian Shelf and the Grand Banks.  The Scotian Shelf and Grand Banks offshore clam fisheries are managed under an Integrated Fisheries Management Plan, with a total of 3 licences having equal access to quotas in both areas through Enterprise Allocations. Within the Offshore Clam fishery, there is an unrestricted by-catch of Northern Propellerclam, Greenland Cockles, and other co-occurring molluscs.

Northern Propellerclam and Greenland Cockle clams are frequently caught in the Offshore Clam fishery.  After Arctic Surfclam, they are the most abundant clam species by weight in the fishery, and in recent years, catches of Northern Propellerclam and Greenland Cockle clams have been increasing.

Fisheries Management has requested updated fishery information for Northern Propellerclam and Greenland Cockle clams to the end of the 2019 fishing season for both Banks and proposed methods that could be used to establish catch limits from DFO science.

Objectives

The objectives of this regional science response process are to:

• Update recent fisheries information of Greenland Cockle and Northern Propellerclam on Banquereau and Grand Bank, including:
• Landings
• Catch Per Unit Effort
• Biomass estimates
• Review methods for developing catch limits of Greenland cockle and Northern Propellerclam on Banquereau and Grand Bank.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings

Expected Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Resource Management
• Fishing Industry
• Indigenous Organizations
• Province of Nova Scotia
• Province of Newfoundland and Labrador

References

• DFO. 2020. Offshore Clams-Maritimes and Newfoundland Regions Accessed February 2021.