EIFAC/ICES Working Group on Eels (WGEEL) CM2001/ACFM:03
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Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management ICES CM 2001/ACFM:03 REPORT OF THE EIFAC/ICES WORKING GROUP ON EELS St. Andrews, N.B., Canada 28 August - 1 September 2000 This report is not to be quoted without prior consultation with the General Secretary. The document is a report of an expert group under the auspices of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and does not necessarily represent the views of the Council. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Conseil International pour l’Exploration de la Mer Palægade 2–4 DK–1261 Copenhagen K Denmark TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Main Tasks ......................................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Participants......................................................................................................................................................1 2 TRENDS IN RECRUITMENT AND FISHERIES, CAUSES AND EFFECTS ON STOCK AND YIELD ............2 2.1 Trends in Commercial Landings of American Eels.........................................................................................2 2.1.1 Reported elver catches.......................................................................................................................2 2.1.2 Reported yellow and silver eel catches..............................................................................................2 2.1.3 Reliability of reported catches...........................................................................................................3 2.2 Trends in Abundance Indices ..........................................................................................................................3 2.2.1 Recruitment stages ............................................................................................................................3 2.2.2 Yellow and silver eel stages ..............................................................................................................3 2.3 Causes of Observed Trends in Recruitment ....................................................................................................5 2.3.1 Oceanic factors..................................................................................................................................5 2.3.2 Effects on continental life stages.......................................................................................................6 2.3.2.1 Continental factors affecting the incoming recruitment ...................................................6 2.3.2.2 Continental factors affecting the fecundity of the spawning stock...................................6 2.4 Summary/Conclusions.....................................................................................................................................6 Tables 2.1.1.1-2.2.2.1 .................................................................................................................................................8 Figures 2.1.2.1.-2.31.5..............................................................................................................................................18 3 IMPACT OF FISHERIES IN SELECTED SYSTEMS ON EGG PRODUCTION.................................................34 3.1 Impacts of Fisheries on Escapement..............................................................................................................34 3.1.1 Elver fisheries..................................................................................................................................34 3.1.2 Yellow/silver eel fisheries...............................................................................................................34 3.1.3 Silver eels ........................................................................................................................................35 3.1.4 Natural mortality .............................................................................................................................35 3.2 Fish Passage ..................................................................................................................................................36 3.2.1 Potential effects of dams on migration............................................................................................36 3.2.2 Habitat change.................................................................................................................................37 3.2.3 Upstream fish passage facilities ......................................................................................................37 3.2.4 Monitoring of juvenile recruitment .................................................................................................37 3.2.5 Downstream passage .......................................................................................................................38 3.2.6 Facilities and management action needed to ensure sustainable fisheries.......................................38 3.3 Other Anthropogenic Effects.........................................................................................................................38 3.3.1 Physical habitat change ...................................................................................................................38 3.3.2 Chemical habitat change .................................................................................................................39 3.3.2.1 Contaminants..................................................................................................................39 3.3.2.2 Productivity ....................................................................................................................39 3.3.3 Biological habitat change ................................................................................................................39 3.3.3.1 Introductions...................................................................................................................39 3.3.3.2 Changes to spawning habitat ..........................................................................................40 Tables 3.1.1.1-3.2.1.1....................................................................................................................................41 Figures 3.1.2.2-3.1.4.1...................................................................................................................................44 4 OPTIONS FOR DEVELOPING ESCAPEMENT TARGETS FOR SELECTED SYSTEMS ................................46 4.1 Evaluation of Human and Natural Impacts on American Eel Recruitment...................................................46 4.1.1 The Paulik diagram .........................................................................................................................46 4.1.2 Evaluation of impacts......................................................................................................................48 4.1.3 Spawning escapement and the Precautionary Approach – life history insights..............................48 4.2 Biological Reference Points and the Precautionary Approach .....................................................................48 4.2.1 Reference points..............................................................................................................................48 4.2.2 Consequences of uncertainty...........................................................................................................50 4.2.3 Proposed limit reference points in data-poor conditions .................................................................50 4.2.4 Preliminary reference points for American eel................................................................................51 4.2.5 Limitations of Flim method...............................................................................................................51 4.2.6 Application of Flim and Fpa...............................................................................................................52 Tables 4.1.1-4.2.11........................................................................................................................................53 Figures 4.1.1-4.2.4.3......................................................................................................................................55 5 MANAGEMENT UNITS FOR ESCAPEMENT TARGETS ..................................................................................64 5.1 Application of the Precautionary Approach ..................................................................................................64 5.2 Management Units.........................................................................................................................................64 i Section Page 5.3 Multi-Jurisdictional Eel Stocks .....................................................................................................................64 5.4 Outside of Canadian/US Jurisdiction ............................................................................................................64 6 MANAGEMENT ACTIONS FOR REQUIRED ESCAPEMENTS ........................................................................65 6.1 Current Management Plans ...........................................................................................................................65