Research Document - 2004/065

Baseline Density Estimates From Sea Cucumber (Parastichopus Californicus) Surveys Conducted in British Columbia, Canada

By Campagna, S., Hand, C.

Abstract

The sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus) fishery in British Columbia (BC) is managed by restricting harvest to 25% of the coast and basing quotas on conservative estimates of biomass and exploitation rate. In the absence of survey data from BC, biomass estimates have been calculated with estimates of density derived from Alaska surveys. Since 1998, seven dive transect surveys have been conducted in six locations within the open fishery areas in BC, comprising over 30% of open shoreline. This report presents the results of these surveys and makes recommendation for a new baseline density estimate to be applied to un-surveyed coastline. Estimates of mean sea cucumber weight and shoreline length are also reviewed.

The lowest estimate of all lower 90% confidence intervals from BC surveys, 5.08 sea cucumbers per metre of shoreline (c/m -sh), is recommended for use in un-surveyed coastline of BC where conditions are favourable for sea cucumbers. This is approximately double the previous estimate, of 2.54 c/m-sh. For areas where the habitat is marginal, including extreme exposure to ocean surf or complete lack of tidal current, the original baseline density estimate is recommended. The total recommended quota over all open area in BC is 50% higher using new density, mean weight and shoreline length estimates, from 424 t to 624 t.

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