Fisheries sustainability survey questions - 2015

Section 1

Implementation of the Fishery Decision-Making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach

Some of these questions are used to report on indicators in the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators report and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. These questions are designed to evaluate the implementation of the Fishery Decision-Making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach.

1 – Stock Reference Points

• 1.1 - Have the following stock status reference points (expressed in terms of biomass or other metrics) been implemented for this stock?
  • Upper Stock Reference
  • Limit Reference Point

2 – Stock Status

• 2.1 - What is the current stock status zone for this stock?:
  • Critical Zone
  • Cautious Zone
  • Healthy Zone
  • Uncertain

Selecting “Uncertain” does not mean that that status of the stock is unknown. DFO has sufficient information to manage the fisheries on these stocks.

• 2.2 - If the answer to Section I is “Uncertain”, an answer must be selected from Section II:
  • Serious harm likely
  • Serious harm possible
  • Serious harm unlikely
  • N/A – automatically selected if you are able to assign a PA stock status zone (2.1)

3 – Removal References

• 3.1 - Has a removal reference been identified for when the stock is in the:
  • Critical Zone
  • Cautious Zone
  • Healthy Zone

4 – Harvest Decision Rules

• 4.1 - For this stock, harvest decision rules that aim to control exploitation:
  • Have not been developed
  • Have been developed, but not implemented or evaluated
  • Have been developed, implemented but not evaluated
  • Have been developed, implemented and evaluated

5 – Harvest Rate

• 5.1 - What was the fishing harvest rate or harvest level in relation to the removal reference for the zone that the stock currently occupies (in 2015)?:
  • Harvest rate at or below removal reference
  • Harvest rate above removal reference
  • Cannot be determined

“Cannot be determined” is selected if a removal reference has not been determined for the stock.

• 5.2 - If the answer to Section I is "Cannot be determined" an answer must be selected from Section II:
  • The stock is harvested within approved levels
  • The stock is harvested not within approved levels

6 – Rebuilding Plan

• 6.1 - If this stock is in the critical zone, has a rebuilding plan been implemented?:
  • Yes
  • No
  • N/A

7 – Fishery Plans

• 7.1 - Is there an annual process to review the performance of the IFMP or harvest plan, including assessing the effectiveness of the management measures?
  • Yes
  • No

Section 2

The status of fishery management plans

These questions assess the status of integrated fishery management plans and other fishery plans.

8 – Integrated fisheries Management Plans

• 8.1 - Is this stock part of a current integrated fisheries management plan (IFMP)?
  • Yes
  • No

"Current" is defined as an IFMP that is up to date.

• 8.2 - In the absence of an IFMP, is there a harvest plan in place for this stock (i.e., Conservation Harvesting Plans, fishing plans within an IFMP, or fishing plans not associated with an IFMP)?
  • Yes
  • No
  • N/A

Implementation of the Policy for Managing Bycatch:

These questions are designed to evaluate the implementation of the Policy for Managing Bycatch. 

9 – Bycatch

• 9.1 - Is bycatch accounted for in the fisheries on this stock?
  • Yes
  • Partially
  • No
  • No bycatch
• 9.2 - Has the risk of the fishery(ies) to the bycatch been assessed?
  • Yes
  • Partially
  • No
• 9.3 - Are there bycatch management measures in place to address any risk identified?
  • Yes
  • No
  • No risk identified
• 9.4 - if completed, has an assessment of the bycatch management measures determined that the measures are working to achieve their objectives?
  • Yes
  • Assessment not completed
  • No

Implementation of the Policy on New Fisheries on Forage Species

This question is designed to evaluate if management measures in existing fisheries meet the policy objectives.

10 - Forage Species

• 10.1 - If the stock is a forage species, do the management measures in the fishery meet the objectives of the Policy?
  • Yes
  • Partially
  • No
  • N/A

Management of lost gear

This question provides information on the management of lost gear.

11 - Forage Species

• 11.1 - Are there measures in place in the fishery(ies) on this stock to mitigate the risks of lost gear?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Risks not evaluated
  • N/A

Species at risk management:

These questions are designed to evaluate the integration of recovery objective mitigation measures into fisheries management plans for stocks that interact with Species at Risk Act (SARA) listed species. Responses to be used for 5 year reporting of recovery documents.

12 - Species at Risk

• 12.1 - Do fishery(ies) for this stock interact with SARA-listed species?
  • Yes
  • No

"Interact" means intercept in gear or a likelihood of intercepting SARA-listed species.

• 12.2 - Are there mitigation measures in place in the IFMP or other management plans to reduce or avoid harm, mortality, or harassment of SARA-listed species that interact with fisheries for this stock?
  • Yes
  • No
  • N/A

General comments (<100 words)

This section, found at the end of the survey, is intended for further explanations for a given stock, clarifications of how the survey is applied to multiple fisheries for the same stock, elaborate on how questions were answered for aggregate stocks, etc.