Research Document 1997/134

Analysis of longline logbook data for the west coast Vancouver Island yelloweye rockfish fishery

By K.L. Yamanaka and A.R. Kronlund

Abstract

Logbook data from the West Coast of Vancouver Island management region (statistical areas 11, 21 - 27, 111, 121 - 127) longline fishery from 1986 to 1996 are described and trends in catch and effort data are discussed. Logbook catch and effort data are recorded on a finer scale than similar data on fish slips. The relationship between catch per unit of effort indices and fish abundance, is unknown for inshore rockfish. Fishing patterns over the time series have changed with decreasing proportions of yelloweye rockfish in the catch, an expanded range of mean fishing depths and decreases in soak time and number of hooks fished. Some of these changes can be explained by a shift away from fishing yelloweye rockfish to fishing other rockfish species including quillback, redbanded and rougheye rockfish. This shift in fishing may have resulted directly from factors external to the actual fishing activity, such as, changes in the management of the fishery or market demand. Logbook data are preliminary as only half of the records are keypunched for the 1989 to 1992 period. In general, yelloweye rockfish catch (kilograms) per unit of effort (soak time in hours) (CPUE) is declining and quillback and redbanded rockfish CPUEs are increasing. Further analyses for the West Coast of Vancouver Island and other management regions of the coast are pending.

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