Science Advisory Report 2018/022

Assessment of the Stimpson’s surfclam stocks of Quebec coastal waters in 2017

Summary

• Mean annual Stimpson’s surfclam landings in Quebec totalled 638 t from 2015 to 2017, a 22% decrease compared with the 2012-2014 period. The North Shore accounted for 97% of landings and the Magdalen Islands for 3%.
• Since 2015, areas 2, 4C and 5A have not been exploited. Area 4A was exploited only in 2015, and areas 1B and 5B were exploited in 2015 and 2016. Areas 1A, 3A, 3B and 4B were exploited every year and, on average, more than 80% of the total allowable catch (TAC) was reached in these areas, with the exception of Area 1A (74%).
• The average catch per unit effort (CPUE) has been decreasing in Area 1A since 2009, and the average for 2015 to 2017 is significantly below the median. It is also below the median in areas 3B, 4B and 5B, whereas it is slightly above the median in areas 1B, 3A and 4A.
• The average size of surfclams landed for the 2015–2017 period was clearly above the median in areas 1A, 1B and 4B and slightly above in areas 3A and 4A, whereas it was slightly below in areas 4A, 3B and 5B.
• The exploitation rate index was lower than 3% in the areas exploited between 2015 and 2017. It should be noted that relatively high exploitation rates (between 2.5 and 3%) were observed in areas 3A, 3B and 4B. Some of the beds in these areas have an exploitation rate of 3% or higher, and it would be wise to decrease or limit effort on these beds.
• According to the existing decision rules, only Area 3A meets all the conditions for a 6% quota increase.
• For Area 1A, the trend in certain indicators raises some concern about the stock’s ability to support the fishing pressure of recent years over a long period.
• As a precautionary measure, portions of beds with concentrations of sub-legal size (<80 mm) surfclams should be protected from the fishery given the species’ low productivity. In addition, the fishing effort in one area should be distributed among beds to limit the possibility of local overexploitation.

This Science Advisory Report is from the February 20, 2018, meeting on the assessment of Stimpson’s surfclam stocks in Quebec coastal waters. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

Complete document (PDF, 500 KB)

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