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Stock Assessment and Harvest Scenarios for Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) in British Columbia Waters for the 2013 and 2014 Seasons

Regional Peer Review Meeting – Pacific Region

January 29-30, 2013
Nanaimo, British Columbia

Chairperson: Sean MacConnachie

Context

Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) from the Northeast Pacific (California Current) population has a distribution that can range between Baja California to southeast Alaska. In winter and spring months, most of the sardine population resides in waters off the California coast. Prior to and during summer months, large aggregations of sardine migrate from key spawning habitat to more northern waters, but migratory patterns can be affected by population size and oceanographic conditions. Typically, most sardines that migrate into B.C. waters are the larger and older component of the population.

Fisheries & Oceans Canada has been applying a Fishery Management Framework using a harvest control rule that sets the maximum annual total allowable catch (TAC) of sardine in B.C. waters based on annually updated biomass estimates of age 1 and older (1+) fish in the population, an estimated average seasonal migration rate of sardine into Canadian waters, and a regional harvest rate.  Since 2002, average migration rate estimates applied to this harvest control rule have ranged from 10-27% in conjunction with a harvest rate of 15%, (Schweigert and McFarlane 2001, Schweigert et al. 2010, DFO 2012).

Since 1997, an index of the biomass of the migratory component of the sardine population present in B.C. waters has been determined from an annual summer surface trawl survey off the west coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI, Schweigert and McFarlane 2001).  The index is based on average sardine trawl densities observed for the region, measured in t/km³.  In addition to survey observations, sardine fishery catch locations have been considered to represent potential sardine habitat in unsurveyed areas.  Biomass estimates for unsurveyed areas have been calculated by extrapolating annual trawl survey densities to spatial estimates of current and recent purse seine fishing grounds (Flostrand et al. 2011, DFO, 2012).

In anticipation of reductions in assessment funding, and to allow exploration of other important science questions related to sardine ecology, both DFO and the sardine fishing industry are interested in exploring alternative approaches to the provision of harvest advice that do not rely on a trawl survey.  In addition, the fishing industry has expressed interest in having stability in the TAC. Moving towards multi-year science advice is consistent with Fisheries Modernization and is one of the key objectives of Fisheries Management.  To address these multiple interests, both the provision of harvest advice and alternative approaches for the provision of harvest advice will be explored in this peer review process.

Objectives

The objectives of this peer review process are to:

  1. Evaluate approaches for characterizing the migratory component of Pacific sardine biomass in B.C. waters (annually) that are not reliant on annual surveys.
  2. Evaluate potential harvest rates respective of sardine population biomass estimates appropriate for fishing in B.C. waters
  3. Consider the inclusion of a population biomass threshold parameter into a harvest control rule applicable to setting TACs in B.C. waters
  4. Provide estimates of the 2012 mid-summer B.C. Pacific sardine seasonal biomass and migration rate
  5. Identify any specific concerns, uncertainties or information gaps that should be considered when setting the TAC for the 2013 fishing season and from preliminary evaluation of competing harvest control rules.

Working Paper to be reviewed:

Flostrand, L., Schweigert, J., Bolt, J. and MacFarlane, S. Stock Assessment and Harvest Scenarios for Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) in British Columbia Waters for the 2013 and 2014 Seasons (title subject to change). CSAP Working Paper 2012/P10

Expected Publications

Participation

References Cited

DFO 2012. Pacific sardine 2011 seasonal biomass and migration in British Columbia and harvest advice for 2012. DFO. Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2012/026.

Flostrand, L., Schweigert, J., Detering, J., Boldt, J. and MacConnachie, S. 2011. Evaluation of Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) stock assessment and harvest guidelines in British Columbia. DFO. Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2011/096.

Schweigert, J.F. and McFarlane, G.A. 2001. Stock assessment and recommended harvest for Pacific sardine in 2002. DFO. Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2001/126: 13p.

Schweigert, J., McFarlane, G. and Hodes, V. 2010. Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) biomass and migration rates in British Columbia. DFO. Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2009/088. iii + 14 p.

Notice

Participation to CSAS peer review meetings is by invitation only.

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