Terms of Reference

Assessment of Atlantic halibut (4RST)

Quebec Region Science Advisory Process

Mont-Joli, QC
February 16, 2011

Chairperson: Bernard Sainte-Marie¹

Context

DFO Quebec Science Branch reviews the status of some Gulf of St. Lawrence invertebrates and groundfish stocks in support of management of the fishery. Fisheries and Aquaculture management has requested a scientific advice on Atlantic halibut in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (4RST) in 2011.

Objectives

Provide scientific advice on the management of the Atlantic halibut stock status in NAFO Divisions 4RST for the 2011 and 2012 fishing season. This advice shall include:

• An assessment of the status of the Atlantic halibut stock, based on²:
  • commercial fishery statistic following the 2009 and 2010 fishing seasons for the management unit 4RST and NAFO sub-area 3Pn (overall distribution of landings and breakdown by division, fishing gear and month);
  • fishing effort and catch rates for the directed fishery on Atlantic halibut by the longline fleet;
  • commercial sampling data (size structure), including a breakdown by fishing gear (fixed versus mobile gear) and by size group (legal and sub-legal);
  • catch data (distribution, abundance and biomass) and biological data (size), from DFO research surveys  conducted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and from mobile sentinel surveys.
• The identification and prioritization of research projects to be considered for the future.
• Identification of indicators to follow the stock status during the years without a formal stock assessment.
• Perspectives for 2011 and 2012 based on the assessment of the trends of fishery and biological indicators.

Expected Publications

CSAS Science Advisory Report on Atlantic halibut in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (4RST).
CSAS Proceedings summarizing the discussion.

Participation

DFO Science and Fisheries and Aquaculture Management
Fishing Industry
Provincial representatives

¹Updated January 13, 2011
²Updated February 2, 2011