Terms of Reference

Assessment of the whelk fishery in the Quebec’s inshore waters

Regional Peer Review - Quebec Region

March 10, 2015
Mont-Joli, Qc

Chairperson : Charley Cyr

Context

The whelk commercial fishery began in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in the 1940s. It expanded to the North Shore in the early 1990s and in 2003 in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Landings in recent years have been about 1,400 t and came mostly from the North Shore. The whelk fishery is an inshore activity that is practiced using mainly conical traps.

Quebec waters are divided into 15 fishing areas to which access is limited to a restricted number of fishermen. The effort is also controlled by a fishing season and a number of traps. In addition, catches are limited by quota in Zones 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15.

At the request of the Fisheries Management Branch, resource assessment is done every three years. The last whelk stock review was done in 2012. The objective of the review is to determine whether changes that have occurred in the stock status necessitate adjustments to management plans based on the conservation approach used.

Objectives

Provide scientific advice on the management of whelk stocks in Quebec’s inshore waters (management units 1 to 15) for fishing seasons 2015 to 2017. This advice shall include:

• Description of the biology of whelk and its distribution in Quebec’s coastal waters;
• Description of the fishery including landings, fishing effort and management measures specific to the fishing areas;
• Analysis of catch per unit effort from the fishery;
• Analysis of data from the commercial sampling program;
• Analysis of data gathered during research survey in zone 1 and 2 in Upper North Shore (density, recruitment and size structure);
• Identification and prioritization of research projects to be considered for the future.
• Perspectives for the 2015-2017 fishing seasons in areas 1 to 15 based on available indicators.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report on whelk in the Quebec inshore waters.
• CSAS Research document
• CSAS Proceedings summarizing discussions.

Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Science and Fisheries Management sectors)
• Fishing industry
• Provincial representatives
• Aboriginal communities/organizations