Terms of Reference

Recovery Potential Assessment for Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) in British Columbia

Regional Peer Review – Pacific Region

October 11, 2022
Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Dana Haggarty

Context

After the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assesses an aquatic species as Threatened, Endangered, or Extirpated, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) undertakes a number of actions required to support implementation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Many of these actions require scientific information on the current status of the wildlife species, threats to its survival and recovery, and the feasibility of recovery. Formulation of this scientific advice has typically been developed through a Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) that is conducted shortly after the COSEWIC assessment. This timing allows for consideration of peer-reviewed scientific analyses into SARA processes including recovery planning.

Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) are a widespread marine fish that occur in coastal waters. They are distributed from the Aleutian Islands in the north down to northern Baja California at the southern edge of their range. In British Columbia, two Designatable Units (DUs) are recognized by COSEWIC: the inside DU that corresponds to the population occupying the waters in Queen Charlotte Strait, the Broughton Archipelago and the Salish Sea, and the outside DU that is the outer coastal waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island, central coast, northern coast, and Haida Gwaii. Yelloweye are caught in a number of different commercial, recreational, and First Nations fisheries.

Since 2011, both Yelloweye Rockfish DUs have been listed as Special Concern under SARA. The inside DU was assessed by DFO in 2011, which was found to be below its limit reference point (LRP) (Yamanaka et al. 2012). The outside DU was also found to be below its LRP (Yamanaka et al. 2018). As a result, Rebuilding Plans were developed for both DU’s using DFO’s National Guidance for the Development of Rebuilding Plans under the Precautionary Approach Framework: Growing Stocks out of the Critical Zone Policy (DFO 2013).

The Rebuilding Plans of inside and outside Yelloweye Rockfish were evaluated using closed-loop simulation. Both DUs were found to be above their respective LRPs of 40% Biomass at Maximum Sustainable Yield (DFO 2020a,b, Cox et al. 2020, Haggarty et al. 2022). Yelloweye Rockfish DUs were, however, assessed as THREATENED by COSEWIC in 2020.

In support of listing recommendations for Yelloweye Rockfish by the Minister, DFO Science has been asked by the Species at Risk Program to undertake an RPA, based on the national RPA Guidance. The advice in the RPA may be used to inform both scientific and socio-economic aspects of the listing decision, development of a recovery strategy and action plan, and to support decision making with regards to the issuance of permits or agreements, and the formulation of exemptions and related conditions, as per sections 73, 74, 75, 77, 78 and 83(4) of SARA. The advice in the RPA may also be used to prepare for the reporting requirements of SARA s.55. The advice generated via this process will update and/or consolidate any existing advice regarding Yelloweye Rockfish.

Objective

To provide up-to-date information, and associated uncertainties, to address the following elements:

Biology, Abundance, Distribution and Life History Parameters

Element 1: Summarize the biology of Yelloweye Rockfish. O

Element 2: Evaluate the recent species trajectory for abundance, distribution and number of populations. O

Element 3: Estimate the current or recent life-history parameters for Yelloweye Rockfish. O

Habitat and Residence Requirements

Element 4: Describe the habitat properties that Yelloweye Rockfish needs for successful completion of all life-history stages. Describe the function(s), feature(s), and attribute(s) of the habitat, and quantify by how much the biological function(s) that specific habitat feature(s) provides varies with the state or amount of habitat, including carrying capacity limits, if any. O

Element 5: Provide information on the spatial extent of the areas in Yelloweye Rockfish’s distribution that are likely to have these habitat properties. O

Element 6: Quantify the presence and extent of spatial configuration constraints, if any, such as connectivity, barriers to access, etc. O

Element 7: Evaluate to what extent the concept of residence applies to the species, and if so, describe the species’ residence. n/a^{Footnote 1}

Threats and Limiting Factors to the Survival and Recovery of Yelloweye Rockfish

Element 8: Assess and prioritize the threats to the survival and recovery of the Yelloweye Rockfish. P

Element 9: Identify the activities most likely to threaten (i.e., damage or destroy) the habitat properties identified in elements 4-5 and provide information on the extent and consequences of these activities. O

Element 10: Assess any natural factors that will limit the survival and recovery of the Yelloweye Rockfish. O

Element 11: Discuss the potential ecological impacts of the threats identified in element 8 to the target species and other co-occurring species. List the possible benefits and disadvantages to the target species and other co-occurring species that may occur if the threats are abated. Identify existing monitoring efforts for the target species and other co-occurring species associated with each of the threats, and identify any knowledge gaps. O

Recovery Targets

Element 12: Propose candidate abundance and distribution target(s) for recovery. F

Element 13: Project expected population trajectories over a scientifically reasonable time frame (minimum of 10 years), and trajectories over time to the potential recovery target(s), given current Yelloweye Rockfish population dynamics parameters. F

Element 14: Provide advice on the degree to which supply of suitable habitat meets the demands of the species both at present and when the species reaches the potential recovery target(s) identified in element 12. F

Element 15: Assess the probability that the potential recovery target(s) can be achieved under current rates of population dynamics parameters, and how that probability would vary with different mortality (especially lower) and productivity (especially higher) parameters. F

Scenarios for Mitigation of Threats and Alternatives to Activities

Element 16: Develop an inventory of feasible mitigation measures and reasonable alternatives to the activities that are threats to the species and its habitat (as identified in elements 8 and 10). P

Element 17: Develop an inventory of activities that could increase the productivity or survivorship parameters (as identified in elements 3 and 15). F

Element 18: If current habitat supply may be insufficient to achieve recovery targets (see element 14), provide advice on the feasibility of restoring the habitat to higher values. Advice must be provided in the context of all available options for achieving abundance and distribution targets. n/a^{Footnote 2}

Element 19: Estimate the reduction in mortality rate expected by each of the mitigation measures or alternatives in element 16 and the increase in productivity or survivorship associated with each measure in element 17. n/a^{Footnote 3}

Element 20: Recommend parameter values for population productivity and starting mortality rates and, where necessary, specialized features of population models that would be required to allow exploration of additional scenarios as part of the assessment of economic, social, and cultural mpacts in support of the listing process. O

Element 21: Recommend parameter values for population productivity and starting mortality rates and, where necessary, specialized features of population models that would be required to allow exploration of additional scenarios as part of the assessment of economic, social, and cultural impacts in support of the listing process. O

Allowable Harm Assessment

Element 22: Evaluate maximum human-induced mortality and habitat destruction that the species can sustain without jeopardizing its survival or recovery. P

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Science, Ecosystem Management, Fisheries Management)

References

• COSEWIC. 2020. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Yelloweye Rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus, Pacific Ocean outside waters population and Pacific Ocean inside waters population in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xvi + 72 pp.
• Cox, S.P., Doherty, B., Benson, A.J., Johnson, S.D.N., and Haggarty, D.R. 2020. Evaluation of potential rebuilding strategies for Outside Yelloweye Rockfish in British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2020/069. viii + 135 p.
• DFO. 2013. Guidelines for the Development of Rebuilding Plans under the Precautionary Approach Framework: Growing Stocks out of the Critical Zone.
• DFO. 2020a. Evaluation of Potential Rebuilding Strategies for Outside Yelloweye Rockfish in British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2020/024.
• DFO. 2020b. Evaluation of Management Procedures for the Inside Population of Yelloweye Rockfish Rebuilding Plan in British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2020/056.
• Haggarty, D.R., Huynh, Q.C., Forrest, R.E., Anderson, S.C., Bresch, M.J., Keppel, E.A. 2022. Evaluation of potential rebuilding strategies for Inside Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) in British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2021/008. vi + 139 p.
• Yamanaka, K., McAllister, M., Olesiuk, P., Etienne, M.-P., Obradovich, S., and Haigh, R. 2012. Stock Assessment for the Inside Population of Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) for British Columbia, Canada for 2010. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2011/129. xiv + 131 p.
• Yamanaka, K.L., McAllister, M.M., Etienne, M.-P., Edwards, A.M., and Haigh, R. 2018. Stock Assessment for the Outside Population of Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) for British Columbia, Canada in 2014. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2018/001. ix + 150 p.