ATLA\TIC FISHERIES AIJJLSTMI:~T PROGRA.II PROGRA 11\IE D'ADAPTATIO\ DES The PI:CHI:S DE l'ATLA \TIQL'E Science o f A Variable Resource Capelin Fisheries Peches 1+1 and Oceans et Oceans Canada THE SCIENCE OF CAPELIN Contents page Capelin - A Variable Resource .. .. .. .. .. ... .... ............ 1 A Cold-Water Fish ... .. .............. ..... .. .. .. ........ ... 3 A Valued Resource ........ ....... .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... ... 4 Capelin or Caplin? .. ................. .... .. .. .. .... .. ... .. .. .. 6 A Major Food Item .. ........ .. ... ................... .. ...... 6 Feast and Famine ........... .... .............. .. .. .............. 7 Sleggs and Templeman . .... .............. ............ .. ... .. .. 7 Stock Assessment . .. .. .. ............ .. .. .. ......... ........ 8 Separating Stocks . ... ........ ...... ............... ... .... .. ..... 8 Tagging Capelin .... ........ .. .. .. ......... .. ................ 10 Spawning . .. ..... .... .. ... .. .. .. .. .... .... .. ... ... .. ...... .... 13 Late Spawning . .. ...... .. .. ....... .. ...... .. .... .. .. ... 14 One Male or Two? . ........... .. .. .. .. ...... .. .... .. .. .... ... 14 Photos and Logs . .. ... .... .. ... .. .. ... ..... ......... ... .. .. 15 Better Photos . .. ................. ...... .. ... .. ... ... ... ... ... 17 Cod and Capelin .... ... ............ .. .. .. ... ........ .. ... 17 Homing ......................... ................ ... ... ... .... 18 Sound Science ...... ........... ............. ...... ... .. ... 19 Year Class .......... .. ...... ................... ..... .. .. 20 Early Life History .. .. ............ ....... .. .. ... ................. 21 A Tough Start . .. .......... ... .. .......... ..... ...... ... .......... 23 Growth and Maturation .... ....... ........... ... ................. 23 The Southeast Shoal .......... .. ......... .. .. ..... .. ............. 24 Loyalty ... ...... ...... ...... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....... .. ...... 26 The Good News Fishery ........ ..... ......... .. .. ... ...... .. ... 27 Consulting with the Players .... .. ... .. ... ........ ... .. ........ .... 28 Calendar . .. .. ... ...... .. .. ..... .. .. ..... .......... .. ...... 29 Timing is Everything ... ......... .... ....... ........ ........... 30 Redfeed ................. ........... ......... ... ... ... ..... 30 Monitoring the Quotas ... ........ .. .... ....... .... ... ... ......... 31 Marketing . .. ............. .. ...... ........ ... ...... .... ... 31 Shishamo . ... .. ..... ..... ......... ... .......... .. .. ........ ... ... 32 Cod, Herring and Capelin in Norway . ............ .. .... .. .. ... ... .... 32 Future Research .... .... ..... ....... ... ... ......... .. .. .. ... 33 Acknowledgements The majority of articles in this publication were prepared by Lawrence Jackson. Larry Coady, Science Branch, coordinated the project and served as chief editor. Jim Carscadden and Brian Nakashima prepared additional articles and assisted with editing and illustrations. Reviews were provided by B. Atkinson, R. Botta, G . Giovanninni, G . Lilly, J. McGuire, J. Moores and G. Winters, G . King assisted with photography. Cover illustration was by T . Nicholls, publication design by Polaris Communi­ cations. Bernard Brown, Communications Branch, coordinated layouts, provided many help­ ful suggestions and brought the edition to press. THE SCIENCE OF CAPELIN THE SCIENCE OF CAPELIN Capelin - A Variable Resource Each June, Newfoundlanders eagerly await the annual "capelin scull" . People crowd to beaches for the pure fun of harvesting these tiny fish as they "roll" in count­ less millions to spawn at the water's edge. Traditionally, the eagerness was for a fresh meal of this tasty species. Many gener­ ations of Newfoundlanders have used capelin to fertilize the meager soil of the fa­ mily gardens. Still others smoked, pickled or dried them. But, for all that, there wasn't much money in capelin. There's big money in capelin now. The Japanese market for whole roe-bearing female capelin provides an opportunity for quick and significant revenue. In good years, the economic benefits have been spectacular. Even in average years, the fish­ ery has made significant contributions to inshore earnings. All this is tempered by the recognition that capelin is a highly VARIABLE resource. Stock levels can change dramatically. In a single year, the biomass or total weight of the stock, can fluctuate, upward or downward, by as much as ten times. At the present time, the resource is healthy. Next year, or the year after that, or beyond, downturns can be expected. These changes in stock status are common to short­ lived species such as capelin and are due primarily to environmental influences on the year-to-year survival of young fish . The present total allowable catch (T AC), which is less than 10% of the estimated spawning biomass, is extremely conserva­ tive and should not have a significant influence on population size. There are other reasons why the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has taken a cautious approach in managing the capelin fishery. The species is the primary food item of cod and other commercial and non-commercial species. It plays an extremely important role in the marine ecosystem along the northeast coast of New- 1 THE SCIENCE OF CAPELIN foundland. In the recent report "Independent Review of the State of the Northern Cod Stock", Dr. Leslie Harris and his Panel commented that until we are convinced that we have an adequate understanding of cod-capelin interaction, we should err, if at all, on the side of under-exploitation of capelin. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans agrees with this position. The enclosed articles describe the work of capelin scientists in the Newfoundland Region. These researchers have had to resort to several innovative techniques (hydroacoustics, aerial photography) to develop a better understanding of the life history of capelin and to assess stock status. These efforts are ongoing. Collabora­ tive ties have been established with scientists in Iceland and Norway and a clearer picture is emerging of the biology of the species from these programs. We welcome comments on the Science of Capelin. Anyone interested in further information should contact the Science Branch at the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre in St. John's. 2 THE SCIENCE OF CAPELIN A Cold-Water Fish The capelin, a close cousin to smelts Scientists have been studying capelin and a distant cousin to salmon, is a cold­ at most stages of their life cycle. The water fish widely distributed in north­ spawning, incubation and hatching of ern oceans. In the north Atlantic they capelin in the bays of eastern Newfound­ are common around Russia (the Barents land and on the Southeast Shoal have Sea), northern Norway, Iceland and come under close scrutiny. Research ves­ Greenland; in Canadian Atlantic waters sels regularly survey the abundance of they range from Hudson Bay south to juvenile and mature capelin offshore. Nova Scotia. In the Pacific they occur Many of the studies are conducted to aid along the coasts of Alaska and British directly in management, while others are Columbia and, on the Asian side, along designed to describe and understand the the coasts of Russia, Japan and Korea. biology of capelin and what factors af­ fect migrations and abundance. A bet­ Capelin spawn either on gravel ter understanding of capelin biology is beaches or on bottom in deeper water. crucial to better management. In Iceland and Norway, they spawn in water depths of up to 70 m. In New­ foundland most capelin spawn on 90" beaches, but there is one group that spawns on the southern Grand Banks, the Southeast Shoal, on sand and grav­ el bottom in 50 m of water. Most die soon after they spawn, so that their lives make one brief cycle - they hatch, mi­ grate to sea, feed and grow for three or four years, return to spawning areas, spawn and die. Capelin are important commercially and also as a food for other fish, marine mammals and seabirds. They have al­ ways been fished on a small scale by Newfoundlanders and used as fertilizer for gardens, bait, food for dog teams and for human consumption. In the ear­ ly 1970s, a large offshore fishery deve­ loped off the coasts of Labrador and northeastern Newfoundland and on the Grand Banks. Catches of capelin were taken by large mid-water trawlers and purse seiners. Many countries participat­ ed, but Russia and Norway took the lion's share. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the foreign fishery declined but a Canadian fishery developed because of an interest by Japanese buyers in cape­ lin eggs or roe. Now most of the capelin fishery is geared towards this market. Capelin thrive in the cold waters of the upper northern hemisphere. 3 THE SCIENCE OF CAPELIN A Valued Resource Capelin has always been important in ter Confederation, W.J. Bursey improved By now, Norway was well embarked Newfoundland, but no-one could have the process and developed good markets on a huge expansion of its capelin fish­ guessed that it would one day be second in the U.S. and Canada. He hoped to ery, to replace sharply declining catches only to cod in the total value of the compete with sardines and canned her­ of herring. Both species were used chief­ catch. It reached this status in 1986, a ring, but his labor costs were high and ly for fishmeal and oil. Canada, USSR remarkable development in a fishery he was unable to finance automated and Norway all revived efforts to de­ that lasts barely a few weeks. equipment. velop popular food products