Moody Marine Ltd. BSAI Flatfish Fishery: Surveillance Report 1 2011 First Annual Surveillance Report Bering Sea / Aleutian Islands Flatfish Fisheries: Alaska Plaice Flathead Sole Northern Rock Sole Yellowfin Sole Arrowtooth Flounder Certificate Nos.: Alaska Plaice MML-F-047 Flathead Sole MML-F-050 Northern Rock Sole MML-F-051 Yellowfin Sole MML-F-052 Arrowtooth Flounder MML-F-048 Moody Marine Ltd. Authors: Jake Rice, Don Bowen, Susan Hanna, Paul Knapman Moody Marine Ltd 815 – 99 Wyse Road Dartmouth Nova Scotia B3A 4S5 CANADA Tel: (1) 902 422 4551 Fax: (1) 902 422 9780 Email: [email protected] Web Site: www.moodyint.com FCS 03 v1 Rev 00 Page 1 of 29 Moody Marine Ltd. BSAI Flatfish Fishery: Surveillance Report 1 2011 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION Scope against which the surveillance is undertaken: MSC Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fishing as applied to the Flatfish Trawl Fishery. Species: Yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera also known as Pleuronectes asper), flathead sole (Hippoglossoides elassodon), arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), Alaska plaice (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus) and northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra also known as Pleuronectes bilineatus). Area: Bering Sea / Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Methods of capture: Trawl Date of Surveillance Visit: 9-13th May 2011 Initial Certification Date: 22nd January 2010 Certificate No.: Alaska Plaice MML-F-047 Flathead Sole MML-F-050 Northern Rock Sole MML-F-051 Yellowfin Sole MML-F-052 Arrowtooth Flounder MML-F-048 Surveillance stage 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Surveillance team: Lead Auditor: Paul Knapman Team members: Jake Rice, Don Bowen, Susan Hanna Company Name: Alaska Seafood Cooperative c/o Groundfish Forum Address: 4241 21st Ave West Suite 200 Seattle Washington, 98199 Contact 1 Jason Anderson Tel No: +1 206-462-7682 E-mail address: [email protected] FCS 03 v1 Rev 00 Page 2 of 29 Moody Marine Ltd. BSAI Flatfish Fishery: Surveillance Report 1 2011 2.0 RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This report contains the findings of the first surveillance audit in relation to the Alaska Seafood Cooperative (ASC) Flatfish Trawl Fishery in the Bering Sea / Aleutian Islands (BSAI). The surveillance audit was carried out in accordance with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Certification Methodology (FCM) Version 6 (1). An announcement of the surveillance site visit was sent to recognised stakeholders on 14th April 2011 and published on the MSC website advising stakeholders that the audit site visit would take place the week of 9th May. (See appendix A). The surveillance team – Jake Rice, Don Bowen, Susan Hanna and Paul Knapman - met with members of the client group and staff at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) (National Marine Fisheries Service – NOAA Fisheries) between 10th and 12th May 2011. Information and evidence was gathered on the status of the stock, the performance of the fishery throughout the year, measures to meet the Conditions of Certification and changes in management. The following section is set out as a table within which general information about the status of the stock and the fishery for this reporting period is provided along with the surveillance team’s observations, conclusions and recommendations on the current status of the fishery and the client’s progress toward meeting the Conditions of Certification. The table includes the original assessment scoring guideposts and scoring commentary and the requirements of the original Condition alongside the heading ‘Activity assessed’. This identifies the areas in which the fishery was determined to perform below the level required by the MSC standard during the initial assessment, and the required actions to address these issues. As required by the MSC certification methodology, ASC produced an Action Plan setting out the stages involved in addressing the Conditions raised. This is set out in the table alongside the heading ‘ASC Action Plan’. According to the terms of the Action Plan, the client has provided information on the work undertaken to date, this is set out alongside ‘ASC Progress Report’. This progress has been evaluated by the Moody Marine surveillance team (‘Observations’ and ‘Conclusion’) against: 1. the commitments made in the Action Plan; 2. the intent of the original Condition; and, 3. the original scoring indicator, guideposts and commentary. The influence of any overall legislative and management changes in the fishery are also taken into consideration. When the Condition has been judged to have been met, a re-evaluation of the scoring allocated to the relevant Performance Indicator(s) in the original MSC assessment will be included within the evaluation, and if the score is 80 or more, then the Condition is closed. FCS 03 v1 Rev 00 Page 3 of 29 Moody Marine Ltd. BSAI Flatfish Fishery: Surveillance Report 1 2011 Comments Stock status Activity assessed Moody Marine asked ASC to prepare an update on the BSAI flatfish - Yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera also known as Pleuronectes asper), flathead sole (Hippoglossoides elassodon), arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), Alaska plaice (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus) and northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra also known as Pleuronectes bilineatus) - stock status for 2010. The intent of this section is to bring background information up to date and so to allow subsequent condition information to be evaluated in light of the current situation. Yellowfin sole The 2010 Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) bottom trawl survey biomass estimate increased 36% from the low estimate of 2009 but is more consistent with the levels estimated for 2006 – 2008. The stock assessment model indicates that yellowfin sole have slowly declined over the past twenty years, although they are still at a fairly high level (73% above BMSY), due to recruitment levels which are less than those which built the stock to high levels in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The time-series of survey age compositions indicate that only 5 of the past 20 year classes have been at or above the long term average. However, the 2003 year class appears to be as strong as any observed since 1983 and should contribute to the reservoir of female spawners in the near future. The 2010 catch of 119,000 mt represents the largest flatfish fishery in the world and the five-year average exploitation rate has been 4% for this stock (consistently less than the Acceptable Biological Catch). New data for this year’s assessment include: 2009 fishery and survey age compositions 2010 trawl survey biomass point estimate and standard error Estimates of the discarded and retained portions of the 2009 catch Estimate of total catch through the end of 2010. The current assessment model was modified in 2008 to accommodate the sex- specific aspects of the population dynamics of yellowfin sole. The model now allows for the input of sex-specific estimates of fishery and survey age composition and weight-at-age; provides sex-specific estimates of population numbers, fishing mortality, selectivity, fishery, and survey age composition; and allows for the estimation of sex-specific natural mortality and catchability. The model retains the utility to fit combined sex data inputs. New for 2010 is the inclusion of the estimates of time varying fishery selectivity, by sex. The projected female spawning biomass estimate for 2011 is 587,000 mt. Based on the most recent time series of estimated female spawning biomass, the projected 2011 female spawning biomass estimate continues the generally monotonic decline in model estimates of spawning biomass exhibited since 1994. Above average recruitment from the 1995 and 1999 year-classes is expected to maintain the abundance of yellowfin sole at a level above B40% for the next several years. Projections suggest a stable female spawning biomass in the near future if the fishing mortality rate continues at the same level as the average of the past 5 years. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) has determined that reliable estimates of BMSY and the probability density function for FMSY exist for this stock. Accordingly, yellowfin sole qualify for management under tier 1; however, the Plan Team would like to see more explicit criteria established for making this determination. The estimate of BMSY from the FCS 03 v1 Rev 00 Page 4 of 29 Moody Marine Ltd. BSAI Flatfish Fishery: Surveillance Report 1 2011 present assessment is 374,000 mt. The 1978-2003 spawner recruit data were used this year as the basis to determine the tier 1 harvest recommendation. This provided an FABC = Fharmonic mean of FMSY = 0.12. The current value of FOFL = FMSY is 0.13. The product of the harmonic mean of FMSY and the geometric mean of the 2011 biomass estimate produces the author- and Plan Team-recommended 2011 ABC of 239,000 mt and the corresponding product using the arithmetic mean produces the 2011 Over Fishing Level (OFL) of 262,000 mt. For 2011, the corresponding quantities are 242,000 mt and 266,000 mt, respectively. Yellowfin sole is not being subjected to overfishing, is not overfished, and is not approaching an overfished condition. The assessment contains an ecosystem feature that represents catchability of the EBS shelf trawl survey as an exponential function of average annual bottom temperature. Flathead sole Data on the flathead sole stock showed improved conditions compared to 2009. Bottom trawl survey estimates of total biomass for 2010 were 19% higher than for 2009. The 2007 year class is estimated to be above average, but it follows 3 years of poor recruitment. As a consequence, ABC for 2011 is only slightly (0.2%) higher than last year. New data in this year’s assessment include the following: 2009 fishery catch data was updated and the 2010 catch through September 25, 2010 was added to the assessment. Sex-specific size compositions from the 2010 fishery, based on observer data, were added to the assessment.