Terms of Reference

Stock Status Update for Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and Striped Shrimp (Pandalus montagui) in the Eastern Assessment Zone and Western Assessment Zone, January 2022

Science Response Process – Ontario and Prairie Region, and Arctic Region

January 27, 2022
Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Colin Gallagher

Context

In the Arctic Region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Fisheries Management requests a biennial stock assessment for Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and Striped Shrimp (Pandalus montagui) in the Eastern and Western Assessment Zones (EAZ/WAZ). While monitoring occurs every year, DFO Science conducts a full stock assessment, which examines available fishery data to evaluate the state of the stock (stock status indicators) and other environmental factors that could affect the stocks (i.e., climate, oceanographic conditions, predator-prey relationships) every 2 years. In the interim-years, DFO Science provides an update on the status of the stocks, which generally serves as a mechanism to check-in on only the stock status indicators (i.e., biomass and exploitation rate indices) within the context of the Precautionary Framework. The full stock assessment and the stock status updates are used by DFO Fisheries Management to inform the co-management decision-making process on annual harvest advice for the fisheries.

The last full stock assessment peer-review meeting was held in February 2021, and all stocks were determined to be in the Healthy Zone (DFO 2021). Since harvest advice is issued annually, DFO Fisheries Management has requested a stock status update to inform decision-making for the upcoming 2022/23 fishing season. This stock status update reports on the catches to the end of the 2021 fishing season and biomass indices from the 2021 survey using the limit reference indicators developed in 2020 (DFO 2020).

Objectives

The objective of this peer-review meeting is to review and update the stock status indicators (biomass indices, exploitation rate indices) and catches for Northern Shrimp and Striped Shrimp in the EAZ and WAZ within the context of the Precautionary Framework (Limit Reference Points and proposed Upper Stock Reference Points).

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Science and Fisheries Management sectors (Newfoundland and Labrador Region, Arctic Region, and National Capital Region)

References

• DFO. 2021. Assessment of Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and Striped Shrimp (Pandalus montagui) in the Eastern and Western Assessment Zones, February 2021. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2021/014. (Erratum: November 2021)
• DFO. 2020. Science Advice on Limit Reference Points for Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and Striped Shrimp (Pandalus montagui) in the Eastern and Western Assessment Zones. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2020/053.