Terms of Reference

Stock Status Update of Northern Shrimp on the Eastern Scotian Shelf

Regional Peer Review - Maritimes Region

January 5, 2024

Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Kristian Curran

Context

The Northern or Pink Shrimp, Pandalus borealis, is the only shrimp species of commercial importance in the DFO Maritimes Region. The fishery consists of 28 DFO Maritimes Region-based licences, mostly less than 65 ft length overall, and 14 DFO Gulf Region-based licenses 65–100 ft length overall. All mobile licences have been under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) since 1998. A competitive trap fishery with 14 licences is largely restricted to Chedabucto Bay. The fishery operates under an ‘evergreen’ management plan, which documents sharing agreements between fleet sectors. The first eastern Scotian Shelf Northern Shrimp Framework Review occurred in 2015 (Hardie et al. 2018). Various assessment methodologies were reviewed and the continued use of the Traffic Light Approach was supported as the framework to assess the stock health. The status of eastern Scotian Shelf Shrimp was last updated during a science response process in December 2022 (DFO 2023). The status of Eastern Scotian Shelf Shrimp was last assessed during a science advisory process in December 2021 (DFO 2022).

Objectives

The specific objectives of this regional peer review process are:

Assess the overall status of eastern Scotian Shelf shrimp (Shrimp Fishing Areas 13–15) as of the fall of 2023, including stock abundance and exploitation rate. Provide stock status under the precautionary approach strategy and its established reference points to help describe the 2023 outlook in order to give the best available information for determining the harvest levels for the 2024 fishery season. Update descriptive information related to the fishery, survey, and biology of the target species. Provide advice on environmental variable and the impact on ecosystems and the target species. Report on the bycatch of non-target species in observed trips in the 2023 fishery, including the abundance of bycatch species relative to the amount of shrimp caught in the fishery that year and any notable changes in their occurrence relative to previous years. Review updated data sources and stock health indicators.

Expected Publications

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Resource Management and Science sectors

References

• DFO. 2022. 2021 Assessment of Northern Shrimp on the Eastern Scotian Shelf (SFAs 13–15). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2022/033.
• DFO. 2023. 2022 Stock Status Update of Eastern Scotian Shelf Northern Shrimp (SFAs 13–15). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2023/023.
• Hardie, D., Covey, M., and Cook, A. 2018. 2015 Eastern Scotian Shelf Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) Framework. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2018/005. vi + 117 p.