Science Response 2017/011

Status Updates for Thorny Skate in the Canadian Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and Smooth Skate (Laurentian-Scotian and Funk Island Deep Designatable Units)

Context

In May 2012, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designated Thorny Skate (Amblyraja radiata) within Canadian waters of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans as a species of Special Concern, and Smooth Skate (Malacoraja senta) in the Funk Island Deep and Laurentian-Scotian Designatable Units (DUs) as Endangered and of Special Concern, respectively (Fig. 1). Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) species listing process requires listing recommendations to be provided to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) regarding each of these species' DUs. To facilitate this activity, DFO-Science has been requested to update existing annual survey indices for Thorny Skate and Smooth Skate to inform the regional listing advice. This paper provides updated research survey indices for Thorny Skate in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, and Smooth Skate in the Funk Island Deep and Laurentian-Scotian DUs, as well as reported fisheries landings and estimated bycatch of each species.

This Science Response Report results from the DFO Science Response Process of 29 November 2016 on the "Status Updates for Thorny Skate (Atlantic/Arctic Designated Unit) and Smooth Skate (Laurentian-Scotian and Funk Island Deep Designatable Units)".

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