Science Advisory Report  2015/056

Assessment of Greenland Halibut in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (4RST) in 2014

Summary

• Greenland Halibut landings reached 2,753 t in 2013-2014 and 2,986 t (preliminary as of December 31) in 2014-2015, out of an allocation of 3,751 t. The fishing season will run until May 14, 2015.
• Landings and fishing effort have significantly dropped in northern Anticosti and in Esquiman since 2012, but have increased in the western Gulf.
• Catch per unit of effort (CPUE) from fishing decreased significantly across the Gulf in 2013. The CPUE for the western Gulf improved in 2014, while it continued to drop in northern Anticosti and in Esquiman. Overall, the CPUE of 2014 is comparable to the average between 1999 and 2014.
• Biomass indices from research surveys for fish over 40 cm increased in 2014 and were higher than average, though they had decreased in 2013. Fish from 30 to 40 cm, pre-recruits to the fishery, are low in abundance. The 2012 and 2013 cohorts are very strong and will begin to recruit to the fishery in 2018.
• The condition index for fish over 30 cm increased in 2013 and 2014 and is higher than average. This increase could be explained by the arrival of new redfish cohorts in the Gulf, an important prey for large Greenland Halibut.
• Deep water temperature significantly increased in northern of Anticosti and in Esquiman. Fish were found on average at temperatures over 6°C, which is more than 1°C above the average between 1990 and 2014. The temperature increase is lower in the western Gulf.
• Locally, in northern Anticosti and at the head of Esquiman, we observe a decrease in catches, CPUE and biomass. A combination of factors could explain these decreases, such as the increased exploitation rate from previous years and higher deep water temperature.
• A new population dynamic model (SCALE) was presented and identified a slight decrease in exploitable biomass since 2010. The value observed in 2014 remains high compared to the average of 1990-2013. The arrival of 2012 and 2013 cohorts should contribute to increase exploitable biomass starting in 2018.
• In the short term, there is likely to be a slight decrease in abundance for commercial size fish, but in the medium term, the forecast is more optimistic. The landings of the past 10 years have helped maintain a stable exploitation rate. The SCALE model projection indicates that exploitation biomass will remain stable, with an annual landing of 3,750 t for the next two seasons.

This Science Advisory Report is from the meeting of February 18, 2015 on the Assessment of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (4RST) Greenland halibut. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

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