Terms of Reference

Precautionary approach reference points and Total Allowable Catch (TAC) adjustments rules for the Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence shrimps (Pandalus borealis) Stocks

Québec Regional Workshop

Mont-Joli, QC
November 2, 2011

Chairperson: Stéphane Plourde

Context

The Precautionary Approach (PA) is a general philosophy to managing threats of serious or irreversible harm when there is scientific uncertainty. The application of precaution requires increased risk avoidance where there are risk of serious harm and high uncertainty. These conditions often apply in fisheries; therefore precaution should be incorporated in fisheries management.

Canada is committed domestically and internationally to the use of PA in managing its fisheries. Over the last few years, there have been several initiatives in Canada to define the PA in a fisheries context, to identify benchmarks that would be consistent with the approach and to apply it in fisheries management. The fundamental principles guiding this approach have been outlined in two key documents produced by DFO: 1) the Science Advisory Report 2006/023 that identifies the minimal requirements for harvesting strategies to be compliant with the PA, and 2) the 2008 Decision-Making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach; a policy document to guide the incorporation of PA principles in the management of Canadian fisheries.

To be compliant with the PA, fishery management plans should include harvest strategies that are developed according to a science-based Limit Reference Point, an Upper Stock Reference Point and Removal Reference points. These points define the limits of stock status zones (i.e., Healthy, Cautious, and Critical). It is expected that the management decisions respect the actions each of the stock zones as they are described in DFO Precautionary Approach guidance referenced above.

Objectives

The objectives of the meeting are to define reference points and review the TAC adjustment rules consistent with the precautionary approach, for Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence Shrimp stocks based on the best scientific information available. This information includes previous assessments as well as an operational model to simulate the impact of different harvest levels on the population abundance.

Specifically, the following objectives have been set:

1. Define reference points based on indicators used to assess stocks status
2. Peer review of operational model used to simulate the behavior of the shrimp stocks
3. Peer review simulation of adjustment rules under different scenarios using the operational model.

Conclusions of this workshop (indicators of stock status, reference points, TAC adjustment rules and simulations of the behavior of a population under different scenarios) will be presented to the industry during another workshop on November 29, 2011. A precautionary approach meeting the imperatives of resource conservation and the needs of the industry should be adopted as a result of the workshop on November 29.

Expected Publications

• CSAS research documents on operational model, indicators, reference points and TAC adjustement rules
• CSAS Proceedings summarizing discussions.

Participation

• DFO Science and Fisheries Management
• External experts