Capelin of the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence

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Capelin of the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence Fisheries and Oceans Pêches et Océans Canada Canada Science Sciences DFO Science Laurentian Region Stock Status Report B4-03 (1999) DIVISIONS 4RST 4Sw ESTUARY AND GULF OF 4Ra ST. LAWRENCE QUÉBEC 4Rb 4R ary Estu 4Tp 4S 4Rc Gulf of 4Tn 4Rd NEWFOUNDLAND 4Tm St. Lawrence 4T NEW P.E.I BR UNSW ICK Bay of Scotian Shelf Capelin of the Estuary and Fundy Figure 1. Map of North Atlantic Fishery Or- Gulf of St. Lawrence ganization (NAFO) divisions and unit areas Background associated with the capelin fishery in the Estu- ary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Capelin (Mallotus villosus) is a relatively small, coldwater marine fish species with a circumpolar distribution. In eastern North America, the species occurs along the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland, on the Grand Banks, and in the Estuary Summary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (Figure 1). Capelin were abundant in the Bay of Fundy during the 1960s and have been present on • the eastern Scotian Shelf since the mid-1980s. Their presence Capelin is undoubtedly one of the most in those regions is linked to below normal water temperatures. important forage species of the Estuary The colder water temperatures of recent years may have af- and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Annual con- fected the species' growth rate, which would explain the re- sumption of capelin by its main preda- duction in individual fish size observed in the early 1990s. As a result of the smaller size of the capelin, the fishing season tors is estimated at several hundred thou- was cut short in 1994 and the fishery was closed almost com- sand tonnes. pletely in 1995. However, the situation has returned to normal • 1998 capelin landings in NAFO divi- over the past three years. sions 4RST currently stand at 9,077 t, Capelin plays a key role in the food chain by transferring which represents an increase of just over energy from primary and secondary producers to higher tropic levels. It is an important food resource for other fish species 1,200 t from 1997. such as cod and salmon, as well as for certain birds and ma- • The purse seine fishery on the west rine mammals whose migrations are linked to its presence. coast of Newfoundland accounted for the Preliminary estimates show that predators consume up to a million tonnes of capelin annually in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. bulk of capelin landings in 1998. The In light of those estimates, it seems clear that the commercial 6,000 t quota allocated to large and fishery removes only a small portion of the total biomass. small seiners was even exceeded. The capelin fishery in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence • In Chaleur Bay, nearly 800 t of fish was developed rapidly with the emergence of a Japanese market for caught in June during an exploratory roe-bearing females in the late 1970s. Annual landings have fishery using pair trawl. risen to nearly 10 000 t from a level of less than 2 000 t back then. The bulk of catches are made with purse seines in a • The temporal pattern of catches has re- fishery conducted on the west coast of Newfoundland. In turned to normal, given that the start of addition to being taken by recreational fishers on beaches the 1998 fishing season was not delayed, during the spawning period, capelin is a by-catch of the shrimp fishery. Although its population structure has not been clearly as was commonly the case in the early defined, the species is managed based on two distinct man- 1990s. agement units, NAFO divisions 4ST and 4R (Figure 1). At • Furthermore, the gradual decline in the present, no abundance survey is undertaken for the species, although relative indices are computed using data from two size of individual capelin, which trig- groundfish surveys, conducted in August and September in the gered the premature halt to fishing in northern and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. June 1999 Laurentian Region Capelin of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence 1994 and the nearly complete closure in spawning takes place at specific locations 1995, has not been observed since 1996. and may sometimes be sporadic due to an- • Capelin are still present in the southern nual fluctuations in water temperature. The Gulf of St. Lawrence, however the beach spawning period lasts from four to six range extension noted in recent years weeks, falling sometime between mid-April appears to have stopped in 1998. and July, but with increasingly later starting • The mean weights of catches per tow dates as one moves from west to east. At and percentages of occurrence com- spawning sites, the males and females gather puted from an abundance survey done in separate schools. Mature males reach the with a bottom trawl in the northern Gulf beaches first and await the arrival of the have shown a downtrend since 1996. females, which remain offshore longer. A The mean weights calculated in 1998 are large proportion of these capelin die after among the lowest recorded since 1990. spawning, particularly the males, which are However, these values are difficult to injured in repeated matings on the beach. interpret owing to uncertainty over the Nonetheless, the survivors have the ability use of this type of survey in assessing to spawn again over the coming years. the abundance of a pelagic species like Capelin eggs adhere to the gravel substrate, capelin. and the incubation period and the amount of • Postspawning mortality and predation time the larvae spend on the gravely bottom mortality are very high among capelin. vary with the water temperature. The larvae The present catch level has little bearing soon become pelagic, remaining near the on fluctuations in the abundance of this water surface until winter arrives. species. Capelin do most of their growing during the • In view of the sketchy knowledge of first two years of life. From the age of two, capelin biology, the absence of a sepa- the males are physically larger than the fe- rate abundance survey for the species males (Figure 2a). Factors such as water and its prominent position in the marine temperature can have a major impact on the ecosystem, any increase in the catch species' growth. Males and females have level must be implemented gradually. identical weight-length relationships (Figure 2b); however, since females are smaller, the Biology range of lengths differs. Capelin spawn around three years of age and Capelin feed mainly on plankton (e.g. may live for five or six years. During the euphausiids, copepods, amphipods) but their spawning period, males can be distinguished feeding patterns vary with the seasons. For from females by their larger fins and the example, feeding stops almost completely presence of two pairs of spawning ridges during spawning, then gradually resumes. (four rows of elongated scales), one dorsally and the other ventrally. Spawning, which is preceded by a mass shoreward migration, occurs on beaches or in deeper water. Dur- ing beach spawning, the capelin literally "roll" on sand or fine gravel, whereas the second type of breeding takes place in wa- ters from 30 to 125 m deep (17-70 fathoms). On the west coast of Newfoundland, like elsewhere in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, - 2 - Laurentian Region Capelin of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence 225 (A) 12000 30000 200 10000 25000 4T 175 8000 4S 20000 4R TAC 150 6000 15000 LENGTH (mm) Female TAC (t) Male 125 LANDINGS (t) 4000 10000 2000 5000 100 1234567 0 0 AGE 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 YEAR 45 (B) 40 Figure 3. Capelin landings and TAC (t) in NAFO Divisions 4RST. 35 30 The fishing season is short and corresponds ) 25 to the prespawning period, in the seine fish- 20 ery, and to the spawning period, in the trap WEIGHT (g 15 Female fishery. In both cases, the fishery chiefly 10 Male targets mature females with the aim of 5 meeting demand for roe capelin. The largest 0 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 landings in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are LENGTH (mm) nearly always made on the west coast of Newfoundland, that is, in Division 4R (Fig- Figure 2. Length at age (A) and weight-length ures 1 and 3). In divisions 4R and 4S, the relationships (B) for the capelin of the Estuary most intensive fishing generally takes place and Gulf of St. Lawrence. in June and July. By contrast, in Division 4T, the fishery sometimes begins as early as Description of the fishery April, but the biggest landings are made in On an international scale, the largest catches May and June. Purse seines, traps and of capelin are generally made in the Barents weirs are used in most capelin catches in the Sea. The main world markets for capelin Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. are associated with this fishery, a situation that can be a hindrance for markets in East- Main requirements of the 1998 manage- ern Canada. Commercially, capelin has not ment plan been a much sought-after species. In East- In 1998, as in 1996 and 1997, landings were ern Canada, the species has been used to required to comprise at least 30% females produce farm fertilizer, food for human con- (in number), which meant that fishers had to sumption, bait for cod fishing, and, more sample their catches at sea to determine the recently, fish meal. The emergence of a percentage of roe-bearing females. Dis- Japanese market for roe-bearing females carding and unnecessary losses of capelin, has attracted the attention of Canadian fish- along with the presence of large quantities ers.
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