Introduction to stock assessment

Unit 2.2: Data collection

DFO regularly carries out monitoring surveys to collect fishery-independent data. For example, DFO conducts multi-species surveys that cover much of Canada's continental shelf.

Monitoring undertaken by Rights-holders and stakeholders, such as Indigenous Peoples and fishing industries, beyond their harvesting activities is also a critical source of fishery-independent knowledge, expertise, and capacity in Canada. Rights-holders and stakeholders participate in many collaborative monitoring programs that provide key data for DFO's stock assessments. Indigenous Ways of Knowing are also holistic and can provide important context for stock assessments (for example, historic environmental conditions, historic species distribution, understanding of species life history).

International countries also carry out monitoring surveys that inform joint stock assessments for transboundary or straddling stocks.

Examples: Collaborative fishery-independent data collection

Photo credit: DFO

Commercial-sized (>81cm) Atlantic Halibut are too big to be caught consistently in DFO's multi-species trawl surveys as they often escape under the nets. Instead, 2 longline surveys are undertaken jointly between DFO and industry members on the east coast of Canada to provide data on commercial-sized Atlantic Halibut. The first covers the Scotian Shelf and southern Grand Banks, while the second covers the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Photo credit: Kendra Holt, DFO

On the west coast of Canada, Sablefish research surveys are undertaken jointly with the Canadian Sablefish Association. In addition, an extensive multi-species bottom trawl survey program is conducted in collaboration with the Canadian Groundfish Research and Conservation Society, and the Pacific Halibut Management Association collaborates on the Hard Bottom Longline Surveys.

Date modified:: 2024-08-08

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Introduction to stock assessment

Unit 2.2: Data collection