Effects of Extended Jurisdiction on Management and Conservation of Canada's Pacific Coast Fisheries

Abstract

In 1977, Canada extended its fisheries jurisdiction to 370 km (200 nautical miles), which obligated the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to make annual assessments of the actual and potential productivity of stocks occurring within the zone. This paper examines some of the effects of the management schemes that have been developed for marine fish resources in waters off British Columbia. Management options are briefly discussed. For most species, restrictions in the form of total allowable catches have been recommended. Other management recommendations have included mesh regulations, minimum sizes, closures, and gear controls. Extended jurisdiction also afforded an opportunity to implement alternative management regimes for stocks, particularly integration of management with research on population dynamics. The exercise of making management recommendations implies that characteristics of fish populations on the grounds have been reasonably estimated. We discuss the use of survey data and landing statistics for assessing stocks in the extended fishing zone. Models used to evaluate the effects of different management options are also discussed. We note the results of alternative management programs, such as assemblage management and managing fishing mortality. Case studies providing insights into how stock management has been improved in British Columbia are described for two broad production systems, one for long-lived, low-production stocks such as rockfish Sebastes spp. and sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria and a second one for short-lived, high-production stocks such as Pacific hake Merluccius productus and Pacific herring Clupea harengus pallasi.