Inshore Rockfish (Cod) Management Goals for British Columbia

Fisheries and Oceans Canada - News Release

BG-PR-02-005E

May 27, 2002

INSHORE ROCKFISH MANAGEMENT GOALS

Outlined below are the components of the inshore rockfish conservation strategy that are being implemented in 2002.

Rockfish conservation areas will be expanded to protect rockfish habitat. They will provide a buffer against scientific uncertainty, and for the essential protection and rebuilding of rockfish stocks. Rockfish conservation areas will be most extensive in the inside waters (Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait) where science indicates that stock declines have been most precipitous. A first set of expanded conservation areas will take effect in mid to late June, and following consultations, a full slate of rockfish conservation areas will be established for the 2003 fishing season. Details about these conservation areas will be released shortly.
Fishing mortality will be substantially reduced. Current estimates of harvest rates are six per cent for the inside waters and four per cent for the outside waters. To reduce harvest rates to the precautionary sustainable harvest rate of less than 1.5 per cent requires drastic reduction of directed rockfish harvest and of rockfish by-catch levels in the inside waters and significant reductions in the outside waters.

On December 14, 2001, Fisheries and Oceans Canada stated that a harvest rate of less than two per cent was necessary to reverse declines and ensure stock rebuilding of inshore rockfish stocks. A recent Pacific Scientific Advice Review Committee report recommends that a sustainable fishing mortality rate for inshore rockfish species must be less than 0.75 of the natural mortality rate. Natural mortality rate has been conservatively estimated to be two per cent. A sustainable fishing rate for inshore rockfish must therefore be 1.5 per cent or less.

Comprehensive catch monitoring programs will be established that will allow for an accounting of all significant inshore rockfish catch (retained and released). In 2002, significant increases in catch monitoring levels are being implemented in many fisheries.
Commercial fishery monitoring tools will include increased number of fishery observers, use of experimental camera technology, dockside monitoring, logbook data and biological sampling at landing sites. Improvements to the coverage of recreational creel surveys are being developed, and consultations are currently on-going with First Nations to develop or improve catch monitoring programs. Catch monitoring standards as outlined in Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s framework entitled Pacific Region Fishery Monitoring and Reporting Framework will be developed for the 2003 fishing season and may be fully implemented by the following year.
A stock assessment framework for inshore rockfish will be developed by December 2002. Complementary stock monitoring programs, which will include the collection of abundance and biological data, will be developed in consultation with and participation of commercial and recreational harvesters and First Nations. This framework will enable the Department to more accurately assess rockfish abundance and evaluate the progress toward rebuilding objectives.