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| Marine Resource Fact Sheet |
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| | American Plaice - Grand Bank, 2008 |
| | American plaice in Div. 3LNO |
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| | Owned by | Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
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| Main Descriptors | Considered a single stock: Yes
Spatial Scale: Regional
Considered a management unit: Yes |
| Considered a single stock: A group of individuals in a species occupying a well defined spatial range independent of other stocks of the same species. It can be affected by random dispersal movements and directed migrations due to seasonal or reproductive activity. |
| Spatial Scale: Spatial scale contains a standard term such as Global, Regional (e.g. for the whole Atlantic), sub-regional (e.g. for a part of the Atlantic), national, local (for sub-national levels). |
| Considered a management unit: An aquatic resource or fishery is
declared as [Fishery] Management Unit if it is
effectively the focus for the application of selected
management methods and measures, within the broader
framework of a management system. According to the FAO
Glossary for Responsible Fishing, "a Fishery Management
Unit (FMU) is a fishery or a portion of a fishery
identified in a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) relevant
to the FMP's management objectives." FMU's may be
organised around fisheries biological, geographic,
economic, technical, social or ecological dimensions ,
and the makeup and attribute of a fishery management
unit depends mainly on the FMP's management
objectives. |
| Jurisdictional distribution: Jurisdictional qualifier (e.g.
"shared", "shared - highly migratory") of the aquatic
resource related with its spatial distribution. |
| Environmental group: Classification of the aquatic
resource according to the environmental group (e.g.
pelagic invertebrate, or demersal fish) to which the
species belong. |
| | | | | | Habitat and Biology Climatic zone: Temperate Bottom type: Unspecified Depth zone: Unspecified Horizontal distribution: Neritic Vertical distribution: Demersal/Benthic Geographical Distribution Jurisdictional distribution: Straddling between High Seas and EEZ Historically, American plaice in Div. 3LNO has comprised the largest flatfish fishery in the Northwest Atlantic. Geo References  | | Distribution of American Plaice - Grand Bank
| FAO Fishing Statistical Division Areas | 21.3.L: Atlantic, Northwest / 21.3.L | | 21.3.N: Atlantic, Northwest / 21.3.N | | 21.3.O: Atlantic, Northwest / 21.3.O |
| | | | | | Intersecting Major FAO areas and LME areas |
The following area codes have been found as intersecting the distribution of American Plaice - Grand Bank Resource Structure Considered a single stock: Yes Exploitation Fishery and Catches In most years the majority of the catch has been taken by offshore otter trawlers. There was no directed fishing in 1994 and there has been a moratorium since 1995. Catches increased from 1995 until 2003 after which they began to decline.
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Catch ('000 t) |
TAC ('000 t) |
| Year |
STACFIS |
21A |
Recc. |
Agreed |
| 2006 |
2.8 |
0.91 |
ndf |
ndf |
| 2007 |
3.6 |
1.01 |
ndf |
ndf |
| 2008 |
2.5 |
1.91 |
ndf |
ndf |
| 2009 |
|
|
ndf |
ndf |
1 Provisonal
ndf No directed fishing |
Assessment Data Biomass and abundance data were available from several surveys. Age data from Canadian bycatch as well as length data from bycatch from Russia, EU-Spain and EU-Portugal were available. Assessment Model Analytical assessment Results An analytical assessment using the ADAPTive framework tuned to the Canadian spring, Canadian autumn and the Spanish Div. 3NO surveys were used. Natural mortality was assumed to be 0.2 except from 1989 to 1996 where it was set at 0.53. RecruitmentEstimated recruitment at age 5 indicates that the 2003 year class is the largest since the 1985 year class. Biomass Biomass and SSB are very low compared to historic levels. SSB declined to the lowest estimated level in 1994 and 1995. It has been steadily increasing since then and is currently at 41 000 t. Fishing mortalitySince 1995, the average fishing mortality on ages 9 to 14 increased but since 2003 has declined. Overall Assessment Results Reference Point Good recruitment has rarely been observed in this stock when SSB has been below the currently estimated Blim of 50 000t. In the current assessment Scientific Council adopted an Flim of 0.4 consistent with stock history and dynamics for this stock. The stock is currently below Blim and current fishing mortality is below Flim. Scientific Advice Short term considerations: Deterministic projections were conducted to predict stock biomass over the next 3 years. Projections were limited to 3 years as extended projections are increasingly driven by recruitment assumptions. Spawner biomass, biomass and catch were projected assuming F=0, F= F2008 (0.16), F= F0.1 (0.2) and Flim (0.4) (shown below). The stock is estimated to increase and will likely surpass Blim by 2010 under all fishing mortality scenarios considered (except for Flim). Special CommentsScientific Council notes that levels of bycatch allowed for this stock in the yellowtail flounder fishery have been increased for 2009 and 2010 and this is likely to result in an increase in fishing mortality. The next full assessment of this stock will be conducted in 2011. Management Considered a management unit: Yes Management Advice There should be no directed fishing on American plaice in Div. 3LNO in 2010 and 2011. Bycatches of American plaice should be kept to the lowest possible level and restricted to unavoidable bycatch in fisheries directing for other species. Biological State and Trend Exploitation rate: No or low fishing mortality
Abundance level: Depleted The stock remains low compared to historic levels although SSB is approaching Blim. Source of information SCS Doc. 09/ 2, 5, 9, 12, 14  . SCR Doc. 09/8, 23, 35, 36 . |
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