Terms of Reference

Gulf of St. Lawrence NAFO 4T American Plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides), Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), Yellowtail Flounder (Limanda ferruginea) and 4RST Witch Flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) Interim Stock Indicators Update to 2024

Regional Peer Review - Gulf Region

December 11, 2024

Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Remi Sonier

Context

As part of the multi-year stock assessment cycles (DFO 2016a), Fisheries and Harbour Management sector of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has requested interim stock indicator updates for four Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) groundfish stocks:

• Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) 4T American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides);
• NAFO 4T Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus);
• NAFO 4T Yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea);
• NAFO 4RST Witch flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus)

These stocks are prescribed under section 6 of the Fisheries Act.

The last scientific assessment for these GSL species were completed in 2016 (DFO2016b, interim update in 2018 (DFO 2019)), 2017 (DFO 2017, interim update in 2022 (DFO 2022a)), 2021 (DFO 2021) and 2022 (DFO 2022b) respectively.

Objectives

The objective of the interim updates is to review the stock status indicators to 2024 to determine if a full stock assessment is triggered earlier than the prescribed multi-year stock assessment cycle.

Provide advice on:

• Interim indicators for the GSL stock area based on the multi-species ecosystem bottom trawl surveys, taking into account assumptions regarding stock structure and distribution.

Evaluate:

• The stock status for these GSL groundfish stocks in relation to the rescaled limit reference point (LRP) for each stock.

Expected Publications

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Science and Fisheries and Harbour Management)

References

• DFO. 2016a. Guidelines for providing interim-year updates and science advice for multi-year assessments. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Advis. Rep. 2016/020.
• DFO. 2016b. Stock assessment of American Plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides) of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Div. 4T) to 2015. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2016/031.
• DFO. 2017. Stock assessment of Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Div. 4T) to 2016. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2017/022.
• DFO. 2019. Updated indices of abundance to 2018 for American Plaice and Yellowtail Flounder from NAFO Div. 4T. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2019/006.
• DFO. 2021. Stock Assessment of Yellowtail Flounder (Limanda ferruginea) of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Div. 4T) to 2020. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2021/022.
• DFO. 2022a. Updated index of abundance to 2021 for Winter Flounder from NAFO Div. 4T. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2022/025.
• DFO. 2022b. Stock assessment of Witch Flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Divisions 4RST) to 2021. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2022/028.