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Project 3.3a – Applying management strategy evaluation to identify economically viable harvesting options for the B.C. small boats groundfish fleet

The British Columbia small boats groundfish fleet harvests a variety of groundfish species. Recent management actions to address unreported discards and promote the recovery of depleted rockfish populations have imposed severe constraints on fleet operations, threatening their financial viability.

 

This project aims to foster collaboration between industry, academics, and government scientists and managers to evaluate current and alternative management plans for the B.C. small boats groundfish fleet. The focus will be on identifying management plans that offer good chances of population recovery, prevent further reduction of depleted populations, and secure and maintain the future financial viability of the fleet. We will evaluate:

 

  1. The potential impacts of rockfish conservation areas and stock recovery plans on select groundfish populations and on the financial viability of the B.C. small boats groundfish fleet.
  2. The impacts of the Larocque decision (Larocque v. Canada, 2006) on resource monitoring and the availability of data for quota setting and other management decisions.
  3. The tradeoffs between economic benefits and the future status of various populations that may result from different management plans.


Population dynamics models for B.C. groundfish will be developed, taking into account differences in fishing gear and time (season) and space (inshore/offshore), among other factors. Fleet dynamics and economic profit models will then be merged into the population dynamics models. Finally, management strategy evaluation (MSE) will be used to assess the performance of current and alternative management plans, with the goal of identifying plans that are financially viable and ecologically sustainable.

 

Project Leader Contact Information:

Murdoch McAllister and Rashid Sumaila
University of British Columbia
[email protected]

 

Project Team

  • Rob Kronlund - Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station
  • Andrew Edwards - Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station
  • Carl Walters - University of British Columbia
  • Dan Edwards - United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union (UFAWU)
  • Danielle Edwards - University of British Columbia graduate student (2011-present)
  • Hiroshi Okamura - University of British Columbia post-doctoral fellow (2011-present)
  • Lynne Yamanaka - Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station
  • Robyn Forrest - Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station
  • Sarah Hawkshaw - University of British Columbia graduate student (2011-present)
  • Sean Cox - Simon Fraser University
  • Steve Martell - International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC)