Scotian Shelf Snow Crab Trap Surveillance Report
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Marine Stewardship Council fisheries assessments Scotian Shelf snow crab trap Surveillance Report Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) SAI Global Assessment team Lead Assessor, Vito Romito Assessor, Jerry Ennis Fishery client ASPANS Assessment Type Second Surveillance Report Code MSC005.SA2 Report Date 05 May 2020 Form 13e Issue 2 April 2019 © SAI Global Limited Copyright 2009 – ABN 67 050 611 642 Page 1 of 112 1 Contents 1 Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 2 2 Glossary ........................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Figures 4 2.2 Tables 5 3 Executive summary ......................................................................................................................... 6 4 Report details .................................................................................................................................. 8 4.1 Surveillance information ......................................................................................................................... 8 4.2 Background ............................................................................................................................................ 11 4.2.1 Traceability Update .......................................................................................................................... 11 4.2.2 Principle 1 Updates ........................................................................................................................... 12 4.2.3 Principle 2 Updates ........................................................................................................................... 24 4.3 Principle 3 Updates ................................................................................................................................ 41 4.3.1 Relevant Changes to Legislation ....................................................................................................... 41 4.3.2 Relevant changes to the management regime ................................................................................ 41 4.3.3 Consultation processes for management measures to minimise the risks to NARW ....................... 41 4.3.4 Changes in staff within DFO science and management ................................................................... 41 4.3.5 Compliance and Enforcement ........................................................................................................... 41 4.4 Version details ....................................................................................................................................... 43 5 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 44 5.1 Surveillance results overview ................................................................................................................ 44 5.1.1 Summary of conditions ..................................................................................................................... 44 5.1.2 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 44 5.2 Conditions .............................................................................................................................................. 45 5.3 Client Action Plan ................................................................................................................................... 53 5.4 Re-scoring Performance Indicators ....................................................................................................... 53 5.4.1 PI 2.3.1 ETP species outcome ............................................................................................................ 54 5.4.2 PI 2.3.2 ETP species management strategy ...................................................................................... 69 6 Appendices.................................................................................................................................... 99 6.1 Summary of Audit Team’s CVs............................................................................................................... 99 6.2 Evaluation processes and techniques.................................................................................................. 100 6.2.1 Site visits ......................................................................................................................................... 100 6.2.2 Stakeholder participation ............................................................................................................... 100 6.3 Stakeholder input ................................................................................................................................ 102 6.4 Revised surveillance program .............................................................................................................. 109 6.5 Harmonized fishery assessments ........................................................................................................ 110 7 Template information and copyright ......................................................................................... 112 Form 13e Issue 2 April 2019 © SAI Global Limited Copyright 2009 – ABN 67 050 611 642 Page 2 of 112 2 Glossary ASPANS Affiliation of Seafood Producers Association of Nova Scotia CFA Crab Fishing Area C&P DFO Conservation and Protection CPUE Catch Per Unit Effort DFO Fisheries and Ocean Canada ETP Endangered, Threatened and Protected species F Fishing mortality GSL Gulf of St Lawrence HCR Harvest Control Rules LRP Limit reference point MLS Minimum Landing Size MSC Marine Stewardship Council NARW North Atlantic right whale NB New Brunswick NS Nova Scotia PA Precautionary Approach PI Performance Indicator SARA Species at Risk Act SSB Spawning stock biomass UoA Unit of Assessment UoC Unit of Certification USR Upper stock reference VME Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem WG Working Group Form 13e Issue 2 April 2019 © SAI Global Limited Copyright 2009 – ABN 67 050 611 642 Page 3 of 112 2.1 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of the Scotian Shelf and Crab Fishing Areas (CFAs). Source: DFO 2019. .................................... 12 Figure 2. Temporal variations in the landings (t) of snow crab on the Scotian Shelf. The landings follow the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) with little deviation, so the TACs are not shown. For 4X, the year refers to the starting year of the season. Source: DFO 2019. ................................................................................................ 13 Figure 3. Temporal variations in catch rates of snow crab on the Scotian Shelf, expressed as kg per trap haul. Trap design and size have changed over time. No corrections for these varying trap-types, soak time, or bait- type have been made. Source: DFO 2019. ........................................................................................................ 14 Figure 4. Time series of fishable biomass from the logistic population models. The fishable biomass index is shown in red dashed lines. The q-corrected (model catchability coefficient) fishable biomass index is shown in green dashed lines. The posterior mean fishable biomass estimates from the logistic model are shown in blue stippled lines. The density distribution of posterior fishable biomass estimates are presented with 95% Confidence Interval (grey). The “Cautious Zone” from the Harvest Control Rules is shown in yellow. Source: DFO 2019. .......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 5. Size-frequency histograms of carapace width of male Snow Crab. This figure provides information about the relative numbers within a given year. The vertical line represents the legal size (95 mm). Source: DFO 2019. .......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 6. Size-frequency histograms of carapace width of female Snow Crab. This figure provides information about the relative numbers within a given year. Source: DFO 2019. ............................................................... 18 Figure 7. Sex ratios (proportion female) of mature snow crab. Since 2000, the Scotian Shelf is generally male dominated. Dashed line shows equal proportions. Solid grey line represents the long-term mean. Source: DFO 2019. .................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Figure 8. Time series of fishing mortality from the logistic population models for N-ENS, S-ENS, and 4X, respectively. Posterior density distributions are presented in gray, with the darkest line being the median with 95% Confidence Interval. The solid (red) line is the estimated fishing mortality at maximum sustainable yield and the stippled (black) line is the 20% harvest rate. Source: DFO 2019. ........................................................ 20 Figure 9. Annual variations in bottom temperature observed during the snow crab survey. The horizontal (black) line indicates the long-term median temperature within each subarea. Error bars