Terms of Reference

Assessment of Herring in NAFO Divisions 4VWX

Regional Peer Review-Maritimes Region

April 11-12, 2018
Dartmouth, NS

Chairperson: Jennifer Ford

Context

Atlantic Herring (Clupea harengus) is a pelagic species found on both sides of the North Atlantic.  The majority of Herring in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 4VWX (herein referred to 4VWX Herring) mature and spawn at three to four years of age, then begin a pattern of spawning, over-wintering and summer feeding, which often involves considerable migration and mixing with members of other spawning components and stocks.  Fishing primarily occurs on dense summer feeding, over-wintering, and spawning aggregations and has been dominated by purse seine, gillnet, weir, shutoff and trap.

The 4VWX management unit contains a number of spawning areas that are divided into four components: southwest Nova Scotia/Bay of Fundy spawning component, Offshore Scotian Shelf banks spawning component, coastal (South Shore, Eastern Shore and Cape Breton) Nova Scotia spawning component, and the southwest New Brunswick migrant juveniles.

In support of the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 fisheries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Maritimes Resource Management requested that DFO Science assess the status of the Herring in the 4VWX management unit.  The last assessment of 4VWX Herring was conducted in 2015 using a new assessment framework followed by stock status updates in 2016 and 2017 (DFO 2015, DFO 2016, DFO 2017).

Objective

The objectives of this Regional Advisory Process are:

• Evaluate the status of the southwest Nova Scotia/Bay of Fundy spawning component with respect to the conservation Lower Reference Point.
• Compile and review information regarding the offshore Scotian Shelf and coastal Nova Scotia spawning components and the southwest New Brunswick migrant juvenile fishery component.
• Evaluate the use of the turnover biomass estimate as the main index in assessing the southwest Nova Scotia/Bay of Fundy spawning component.
• Advise on the recovery and rebuilding of 4VWX Herring, specifically, a review of whether the goals of the rebuilding plan are being met.
• Propose an upper stock reference point for 4VWX Herring.
• Review reporting procedures to be used for stock status updates until the next peer reviewed stock assessment meeting.
• Review the assessment schedule, including guidelines for the monitoring of indicators and events that would trigger an earlier than scheduled assessment.

Expected Publications

Include a bulleted list with the types of publications that are expected to be produced from the peer reviewed stock assessment meeting.

• Science Advisory Report(s)
• Proceedings
• Research Document(s)

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science and Resource Management
• Provincial Government
• Aboriginal communities/organizations
• Herring Fishing Industry
• Academia

References

DFO. 2015. 2015 Assessment of 4VWX Herring. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2015/040.

DFO. 2016. 4VWX Herring 2016 Update Report. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2016/036.

DFO. 2017. Stock Status Update of 4VWX Herring. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2017/037.