RockfishLingcod Sustainability Strategy

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Rockfish/Lingcod Sustainability Strategy

• 2003

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Rockfish Sustainability StrategyReview of
achievements 2002

• Harvest Reduction
• Catch Monitoring
• Establishment of Rockfish Conservation Areas
  (Closed Area Strategy)
• Stock Assessment Framework
• Education and Awareness

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Achievements 2002Harvest Reductions

• Commercial
• Significant reductions in TAC
• Total Commercial Fisheries Yelloweye 50
  reduction from 2001 TAC
• Total Coastwide Aggregate 12 46 reduction from
  2001 TAC
• Future Objectives
• Require verified estimates of total catch
  (retained released)
• Implement management tools to reduce discarding
• Licensing changes to reduce discarding

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Achievements 2002 Harvest Reductions contd

• Recreational
• Reduction in daily bag limit Inside North Cst
  Outside
• From 5 8 8
• To 1 5 3
• Uncertainty in released encounters
• Future Objectives
• Better creel information on released encounters
• Improved species ID
• Independent verification of data
• Possibly develop index species approach
• Implement pilot card system

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Achievements 2002 Harvest Reductions contd

• First Nations
• Further consultation required
• Priority for Phase 2 of strategy
• Future Objectives
• Improve accuracy, time, area coverage and catch
  information.
• DFO staff will pursue opportunities for
  partnering or co-operative management
  arrangements between DFO and First Nations that
  will work toward achieving rockfish conservation
  objectives.

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Comparison of Harvest Rate Reduction from 2001 to
2002
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Achievements 2002Catch Monitoring

• Commercial
• 100 dockside monitoring in all commercial
  groundfish fisheries
• 100 at-sea observer coverage in commercial
  Option A trawl
• Improved at-sea observer coverage in other
  commercial groundfish fisheries
• Option B trawl
• Halibut 10 to 25
• Sablefish
• Schedule II (dogfish and lingcod) 1 to 10
• ZN rockfish 1 to 10
• Future Objectives
• Establish standard coverage criteria and
  implement
• Continue evaluation for potential electronic
  monitoring

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Achievements 2002Catch Monitoring contd

• Recreational
• Did not meet objectives in the field survey area
• Decline in survey interviews by area and time
  (budget constraints)
• Catch data good encounter information needs
  improvement
• Data management, log books contain rockfish by
  species (voluntary)
• Creel observers have species identification
  training
• All rockfish caught and released now recorded by
  species
• Johnstone Strait only covered for one month

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Achievements 2002Catch Monitoring, Recreational
contd

• Recreational (contd.)
• Future Objectives
• More emphasis on rockfish species awareness in
  the salmon creel
• Improve information on total rockfish encounters
• Improve accuracy, time, area coverage and site
  frequency
• Increased logbook participation by charters and
  lodge owners

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Achievements 2002Catch Monitoring contd

• First Nations
• Further consultation required
• Priority for 2003
• Future Objectives
• Improve accuracy, time, area coverage and catch
  information.
• Increased participation by First Nations in
  conservation strategy implementation

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Achievements 2002Closed Area Strategy

• 32 areas announced, 4 rescinded
• Future Objectives
• Over 100 additional candidates to be reviewed in
  2003
• Relationship between surface delineated sites and
  habitat productivity to be investigated
• Review of past catch data, encounter rates, may
  assist to prioritize new sites
• Change our unit of measurement (i.e. rocky
  habitat)

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Achievements 2002 Closed Area Strategy contd

• Future Objectives (contd.)
• Develop and implement a consistent enforcement
  strategy
• Integrate closed areas
• Develop process to identify additional areas
• Continue to involve First Nations, the Province
  of BC, key stakeholders and other interested
  groups.

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Achievements 2002 Stock Assessment

• Framework completed but returned to DFOs
  Rockfish Team for further refinement in order to
• Improve monitoring/assessment programs
• Develop/explore new technology (i.e. digital
  imagery)
• Research conducted in Hecate Strait for fish
  density/habitat relationships
• Research on new approaches for assessment
• Working with Geoscience Centre on marine mapping

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Achievements 2002 Stock Assessment contd

• Future Objectives
• Include opportunities for stakeholder involvement
  in stock assessment activities
• Complete framework document
• Expand stock assessment program
• Integrate lingcod and rockfish frameworks as much
  as possible
• Develop co-operative research programs
• Investigate habitat-based survey methods

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Achievements 2002 Education and Awareness

• News releases/stories/magazine articles/radio
  interviews/website
• Maps showing closures developed
• Brochures developed with conservation messages
• Live rockfish displays at public open
  houses/events
• Future Objectives
• Increase flow of information
• Create more communications materials (i.e.
  posters)
• Official rockfish/lingcod spokesperson
• Make information more accessible
• ID Cards with log-books

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Rockfish/Lingcod Sustainability Strategy Next
Steps

• Develop rebuilding objectives
• Clarify stock assessment approach
• Methodology, timelines
• Develop a streamlined process for identifying
  future RCAs
• Determine relationship between current areas
  (sq.km) and our goals
• Consultation

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

• Please see DFOs rockfish/lingcod sustainability
  consultation website
• http//www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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QUESTIONS ON RCAs

• Is this area representative of rockfish habitat?
• Is this high/medium/low value habitat?
• If this area is closed, what are the impacts for
  your fishery?