Map Showing NAFO Management Units

Map Showing NAFO Management Units

Unique biological characteristics dark coloration on both sides compared to almost all other flatfish species left eye not fully migrated giving it an unusually wide range of peripheral vision elongated shape and muscle arrangement are characteristics of a powerful swimmer (often observed at the surface of the ocean) physiology indicates it can control its gravitational position when swimming either vertically of horizontally

Stocks Although considered to be a single stock complex in the NW Atlantic it is managed by the following units: NAFO Div. 4RST Gulf of St. Lawrence domestic fishery only NAFO Subdiv. 3Ps small stock component and domestic fishery only NAFO Subarea 2 & Div. 3KLMNO most heavily fished and widely studied large international fishery (only this one addressed in detail here) NAFO Div. 0A, 1A (offshore) and 1B bilateral fishery (Canada & Greenland) NAFO Div. 0B, 1C-F bilateral fishery (Canada & Greenland) NAFO Div. 1A (inshore) Greenland fishery only

Map Showing NAFO Management Units

62 Fall 1996 Greenland 60 58 56 2G 2H 0 to 0.01 0.01 to 25 25.1 to 50 50.1 to 100 100.1 to 200 200.1 to 1000 54 2J 52 Labrador 3K 50 48 3L 3M 46 44 3Ps 3O 3N 42 65 63 61 59 57 55 53 51 49 47 45 43 41

62 Fall 2002 Greenland 60 58 2G 2H 0 to 0.01 0.01 to 25 25.1 to 50 50.1 to 100 100.1 to 200 200.1 to 1000 56 54 2J Labrador 52 3K 50 3L 3M 48 46 3Ps 44 3O 3N 42 65 63 61 59 57 55 53 51 49 47 45 43 41

Biology Growth Little change in mean size at age over time but substantial difference in between NW Atlantic vs NE Arctic Mean Length (cm) NW Atlantic NE Arctic 40 38 36 34 Age 4 32 30 28 26 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 44 42 40 Age 5 38 36 34 32 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 Year 50 48 46 44 42 40 38 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 54 52 50 48 46 44 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 Age 6 Age 7 Age 8 50 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 Year

Biology Maturity No trend in maturity rates (M 50 ) at age over time but occurring at much older ages than in any other area of the North Atlantic 22 20 Males 18 Age at 50% maturity 16 14 12 10 8 6 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 Year 22 20 Females 18 Age at 50% maturity 16 14 12 10 8 6 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 Year Figure 2. Age at 50% maturity (+ 95% fiducial limits) for male and female Greenland halibut in NAFO Divs. 2J3K from 1978 to 2000. Data are from Canadian fall surveys.

Biology Spawning Most spawning believed to occur in the deep waters (600-1000 m) of Davis Strait (Div. 0B) during wintertime Research in recent years indicate that spawning has been observed also along the deep slopes of Subareas 2 & 3 as far south as Flemish Cap (Div. 3M) Spawning times in Subareas 2 & 3 very erratic for this population, being observed at various times of the year but not consistent from year to year Some evidence indicates that Greenland halibut may not spawn every year creating substantial difficulty in establishing time series of SSB

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Fishery Development The fishery began in earnest in the 1960 s in deep Newfoundland inshore bays in Div. 3KL with the development of synthetic gillnets Large non-canadian trawlers (mainly the USSR, Poland and GDR) entered the fishery in the 1970 s fishing the slope areas largely as bycatches in the roundnose grenadier fishery With the introduction of the 200-mile limit in 1977, most non- Canadian effort was phased out of the Canadian zone A large non-canadian fishery developed in the NAFO Regulatory Area (NRA) of Div. 3LM by 1990 primarily by EU-Spain and EU- Portugal with considerable catches also taken by Russia and Japan The fishery in the NRA has comprised the largest component of the SA2 & Div. 3KLMNO since then

Map Showing NAFO Management Units

Fishery Catches and TAC s Catches averaged about 30 000 t during the 1970 s then declined in the 1980 s In the early 1990 s catches increased to over 60 000 t In 1995 catches declined to 15 000 t in 1995 following the infamous turbot war but have increased since to 36 000 38000 t by 2000-02 TAC s set autonomously by Canada to 1994 and NAFO Fisheries Commission since then Greenland halibut TAC and catches (t) for NAFO Subarea2 & Div. 3KLMNO. 120 Catch (t) 100 80 60 40 Catch (t) TAC (t) 20 0 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 Year

Assessment Fishable Biomass (Ages 5+) The assessment of this stock is undertaken by the NAFO Scientific Council on an annual basis Based on an analytical assessment in June 2003, the fishable stock has declined in recent years and by 2003 is the lowest observed 250000 5+ Biomass (tons) 200000 150000 100000 50000 0 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Assessment Fishing mortality (Ages 5-10) Fishing mortality peaked in the early 1990 s then declined substantially in 1995 as the NAFO SC introduced its first TAC well below recent catches Fishing mortality has been increasing systematically since then Fishing Mortality average (5-10) 1.000 0.900 0.800 0.700 0.600 0.500 0.400 0.300 0.200 0.100 0.000 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Assessment Recruitment (Age 1) The fishery in recent years has been comprised primarily of the above average 1993-95 year-classes Subsequent year-classes are well below average and these are the ones which will comprise the fishery over the next several years Age 1 recruitment (thousands) 250000 200000 150000 100000 50000 0 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Year class

Management Managed by annual quotas split between the coastal state (Canada) and various member states of the NAFO Fisheries Commission All non-canadian catches are taken in the NRA Management approach based on advice from ICNAF since 1974 and NAFO from 1979 Within Canadian waters the minimum mesh size is 145 mm for both otter trawl and gillnets and, in addition, for gillnets fishing depths > 400 fathoms the minimum mesh size is 190 mm Minimum mesh size in the NRA is 130 mm with no depth restrictions Within Canadian waters the minimum fish size is 45 cm whereas the minimum fish size in the NRA is 30 cm