FIRMS - Marine Resource fact sheets - Northern Prawn

Northern Prawn - Flemish Cap

Fact Sheet Title Fact Sheet

Stocks management recommendations 2023

Northern Prawn - Flemish Cap

Northern Shrimp in Div. 3M

Owned by

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) – ownership

ident Block

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Species List:

Pandalus borealis

Species Ref: en - Northern prawn, fr - Crevette nordique, es - Camarón norteño, ru - Креветка северная

ident Block Northern Prawn - Flemish Cap

Map legend

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Aq Res
Biological Stock: Yes Value: Regional Management unit: Yes Reference year: 2022

Table of Contents

Habitat Bio - Geo Dist - Water Area Overview - Management - Aq Res State Trend - Bio Assess - Exploit - Sources

Aq Res State Trend

Aq Res State Trend
	Aq Res State Trend	Aq Res State Trend
Aq Res State Trend	None-Low Fishing Mortality (fishing mortality may not be the main driver of biomass for Flemish Cap shrimp)	No or low fishing mortality	ⓘ
Aq Res State Trend	Depleted Stock Size	Depleted	ⓘ

Since 2021 the biomass has been below Blim. Recruitment since 2021 has been the lowest of the historical series.

Habitat Bio

Climatic Zone: Temperate. Bottom Type: Unspecified. Depth Zone: Slope - Deepslope (500 m - 1000 m). Horizontal Dist: Oceanic. Vertical Dist: Demersal/Benthic.

Geo Dist

Geo Dist: High Seas Purely

Water Area Overview

Spatial Scale: Regional

Water Area Overview

Aq Res Struct

Biological Stock: Yes

Exploit

This fishery is effort-regulated. A moratorium was imposed in 2011. The fishery was reopened in 2020. Fishing effort and catches were very low in 2020 but increased in 2021. With the new moratorium established in 2022 the catch in that year was zero and is expected to be at the same level in 2023.

Recent catches (‘000 t) and agreed effort by the NAFO Commission were as follows:

Effects of the fishery on the ecosystem

The fishery was closed to directed fishing from 2011 to 2019, and since 2022.

Bio Assess

Results

Ref Point

Scientific Council considers that a female survey biomass index of 15% of its maximum observed level (2564) provides a proxy for B_lim (SCS Doc. 04/12). This corresponds to an index value of 2 564 t. A limit reference point for fishing mortality has not been defined.

Projection

Quantitative assessment of risk at various catch options is not possible for this stock at this time.

Assess Models

Analytical assessment

Results

No analytical assessment is available. Evaluation of stock status is based upon fishery and research survey data.

The next assessment will take place prior to the NAFO Annual Meeting in September 2024.

Human impact

Mainly fishery related mortality and low bycatch in other fisheries. Other sources (e.g. pollution, shipping, oil-industry) are un-documented.

Biological and Environmental Interactions

Multispecies models (SCR Docs. 16/35 and 18/24), suggest that predation by cod (Gadus morhua) and redfish (Sebastes sp.), together with fishing, were the main factors driving the shrimp stock to the collapse after 2007.

Results of modelling suggest that, in unexploited conditions, cod and redfish would be expected to be a highly dominant component of the system, and high shrimp stock sizes like the ones observed in the 1998 – 2007 period would not be a stable feature in the Flemish Cap. It is uncertain whether this represents a causal relationship and/or covariance as a result of some environmental factor.

The Flemish Cap (3M) Ecosystem Production Unit (EPU) has not experienced sustained reductions in overall productivity observed in other EPUs. With the exception of a short-lived increase in 2005-2009, total EPU biomass has remained fairly stable over time despite the changes in individual stocks.

Fishing Mortality

Recruitment

Biomass

Sci Advice

Special comments

SC recommended that the management of 3M shrimp be converted from the existing “effort regulation” to “catch regulation” in line with all other stocks in the NAFO Regulatory Area.

Management

Management unit: Yes

Advice

Recommendation

The stock continues to be below Blim.

To be consistent with the Precautionary Approach, Scientific Council advises that no directed fishery should occur in 2024.

Objectives

No explicit management plan or management objectives have been defined by the Commission. Convention General Principles are applied. Advice is based on qualitative evaluation of biomass indices in relation to historic levels, and provided in the context of the precautionary approach framework (FC Doc. 04/18).

Stock definition for management purposes

The Northern Shrimp stock on Flemish Cap is considered to be a separate population.

Sources

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Scientific Council Documents SCR Doc. 16/35, 18/24, and SCS Doc. 04/12, 04/18.

https://www.nafo.int/Library/Science/SC-Documents

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). 2023. Report of the Scientific Council and STACFIS Shrimp Assessment Meeting, 13-15 September 2023. Vigo, Spain. NAFO SCS Doc. 23/20.

https://www.nafo.int/Portals/0/PDFs/sc/2023/scs23-20.pdf

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). 2008. Resolution on the Interpretation and Implementation of the Convention on the Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries. 30th Annual Meeting, September 2008. NAFO/GC Doc. 08/3.

https://www.nafo.int/Portals/0/PDFs/gc/2008/gcdoc08-03.pdf

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). 2004. NAFO Precautionary Approach Framework. Annual Meeting, September 2004. NAFO FC Doc. 04/18.

https://www.nafo.int/Portals/0/PDFs/fc/2004/fcdoc04-18.pdf

Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System