Terms of Reference

Framework Review for Northern Shrimp on the Eastern Scotian Shelf

Regional Peer Review - Maritimes Region

October 29-31, 2024

Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Lottie Bennett

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 and 14 DFO Gulf Region-based licenses. 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 previous Eastern Scotian Shelf Northern Shrimp Framework Review occurred in 2015 (Hardie et al. 2018) and the continued use of the Traffic Light Approach was supported as the framework to assess the stock health. The last stock status update of Eastern Scotian Shelf Northern Shrimp was conducted in December 2023 (DFO 2024).

This science peer review process will include a review of available fishery and survey data and an evaluation of a spatio-temporal delay-difference model and a temporal delay-difference model, which could be used as the scientific basis to support the management of the Eastern Scotian Shelf Northern Shrimp fishery (Shrimp Fishing Areas 13-15). The identification of indicators used to monitor stock health and the development of limit reference points to address the new Fish Stock Provisions for SFAs 13-15 will be peer-reviewed at a future meeting.

Objectives

The objectives of this peer review meeting are to review the data inputs and an evaluation of approaches for population modelling:

• Document changes to the surveys on SFAs 13-15 (including survey design)
• Review fishery-dependent and independent data inputs
• Evaluate stock assessment models for SFAs 13-15

Expected Publications

• Research Document

Expected Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Resource Management
• Indigenous Communities/Organizations
• Industry stakeholders
• Provincial representative
• Non-government organizations

References

• DFO. 2024. 2023 Stock Status Update of Eastern Scotian Shelf Northern Shrimp (SFAs 13-15). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2024/012.
• 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.
• Hardie, D., M. Covey, and A. Cook. 2018. Eastern Scotian Shelf Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) Framework. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2018/005.