Language selection

Search

Terms of Reference

Update on status of Striped Bass from the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence to 2012

Regional Science Special Response Process – Gulf Region

February 14, 2013
Moncton, New Brunswick

Chairperson: W. Fairchild (DFO Gulf Region)

Context

Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence are considered to be a Designatable Unit and were first assessed in 2004 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as threatened. A Recovery Potential Assessment proposed a recovery objective for Striped Bass based on the spawning stock abundance in the Northwest Miramichi of greater than or equal to 21,600 total spawners (using the lower confidence interval of the estimate) for 5 of 6 consecutive years and a target for considering fisheries access of 31,200 fish for 3 of 6 consecutive years (DFO 2006). Although all directed fisheries for Striped Bass are closed in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, the species remains vulnerable to a large number of fisheries in estuary and coastal waters of the southern Gulf including from tidal and marine recreational fisheries (DFO 2011). An allowable harm assessment (DFO 2011) indicated that mortality of Striped Bass in various fisheries including recreational fisheries and illegal fisheries was very high. Based on the trends in the estimated spawner abundances from 1993 to 2012, COSEWIC re-assessed striped bass as “special concern” in 2011, giving credit to the greatly improved abundance of the spawning stock but stating the concern that there was only one confirmed and predictable spawning site for the species in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. As abundance of Striped Bass has increased in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, DFO Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Branch has requested an update on the status of Striped Bass in the southern Gulf to 2012 and a review of factors of species biology which need to be considered in the context of extending previously reduced Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) fishery allocations and a re-opening of a directed recreational fishery. A detailed science review of management options for Striped Bass fisheries has been requested by DFO Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Branch and the request is to be considered in the 2013-2014 peer review cycle of science advice. In the interim, DFO Science initiated the Special Science Response Process in support of interim management measures consideration for 2013.

Objectives

The meeting has the following objectives :

  1. Summarize of life history and population dynamics principles specific to Striped Bass from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.
  2. Provide best estimates of the abundance of spawners on the spawning grounds of the Miramichi River and relative to the recovery objectives defined in the Recovery Potential Assessment (DFO 2006).
  3. Describe the characteristics of the spawning stock from the Miramichi including size and age distributions by sex, length to weight relationships, and length conversion factors if required.
  4. Summarize the previous advice regarding mortality rates associated with catch and release fishing for Striped Bass.
  5. Summarize the data and knowledge gaps which limit the assessment and the advice which can be provided relative to management options for directed Striped Bass fisheries.

Expected publications

Participation

References

DFO. 2006. Recovery assessment report for the St. Lawrence estuary, southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and Bay of Fundy striped bass (Morone saxatilis) populations. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2006/053: 21 p.

DFO. 2011. Allowable harm assessment of Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2011/014.

Notice

Participation to CSAS peer review meetings is by invitation only.

Date modified: