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The consequences of fisheries-induced evolution on stock productivity and yield depend, to a large extent, on the general prospects for growth and survival. Here, we compare the selection pressures imposed by two distinct patterns of exploitation—principally targeting spawning or non-spawning aggregations—on age at maturity among 15 Canadian stocks of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) that have exhibited a consistent pattern of length-at-age responses to common large-scale environmental drivers since the 1960s. In accordance with expectations for maturity-dependent harvesting, the establishment of a spawner-targeted fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence coincided with a shift towards delayed maturity in both resident stocks, whereas stocks elsewhere subject to fisheries that also exploited juveniles more commonly exhibited trends towards earlier maturity. Despite these differences, we find that environmentally driven changes in length at maturation, combined with total mortality, may overwhelmingly determine lifetime reproductive success and possibly fitness. By linking phenotypic changes experienced in the juvenile period to simple correlates of egg production in mature age classes, our study highlights the importance of managing fisheries in the context of ubiquitous but contrasting environmental constraints on life histories.

The recovery of marine mammal populations has led to increased predation on commercially valuable prey species, creating conflicts with fisheries and calls for predator control. Grey seals are important predators of Atlantic Cod and Winter Skate in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL), and both species are likely to be extirpated unless grey seal presence in that ecosystem is strongly reduced. We aimed to identify harvest strategies that reduced grey seal presence in the sGSL to levels that favour fish recovery while maintaining grey seal conservation goals. We fit an integrated population model to grey seal abundance, reproductive and mark-recapture data, and projected future presence in the sGSL while varying the magnitude and age-composition of the annual commercial quota. We found that both removal and conservation targets could be met with annual quotas of 6000 seals if 50% of hunted seals were young of the year (YOY), though small amounts of overhunting reduced seal abundance below limit reference levels. Harvest strategies that targeted higher proportions of YOY were less likely to trigger conservation concerns, though these strategies required much larger quotas to achieve removal targets.

Distinguishing the cause and magnitude of capture-related mortality (CRM) in fishes is important for effective management. To better understand CRM in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) released in the recreational troll fishery off the United States east coast, 48 fish (76–127 cm curved fork length, CFL) were monitored for up to 86 days postrelease with survivorship pop-up satellite archival tags. Recovered data indicated 40 fish were alive at the time of tag detachment and eight died, including six from predation, from 0 to 30 days postrelease. Survival model variants were constructed to independently estimate the rates of immediate capture and handling (CH), postrelease (PR), total CRM (CH + PR), and natural mortality (M) for small (≤103 cm CFL) and large (>103 cm CFL) fish under different hypotheses and causes of mortality. CH was low (0%–8%) for both size classes but predation was an important component of PR, particularly in the small size class. Total CRM was 51% (95% CI: 26%, 81%) for small and 8% (95% CI: 2%, 30%) for large fish.

Senescence is the age-specific decline in fitness of adult organisms principally associated with a decline in survival rate (actuarial senescence) and fecundity (reproductive senescence). Although common in natural populations of many taxa, there are few examples in fishes. A recent study found age-specific increases in the relative frequency of macroscopically non-reproductive Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758), consistent with reproductive senescence in a number of Canadian populations. However, a non-adaptive explanation for these patterns, unrelated to senescence, could not be definitively ruled out. Here, we present the results of histological examination of herring gonads undertaken to examine this and another hypothesis. The sample size of macroscopically senescent gonads was small (n = 4 females), a function of the low abundance of large, older, purportedly senescent, herring in these populations subjected to high mortality rates, and constraints on obtaining fresh samples. The results indicate that these fish were senescent and not merely skip spawning, providing further evidence of senescence and the occurrence of a post-reproductive period in herring in Atlantic Canada. Based on existing theory for the evolution of senescence, observations of actuarial senescence in Norwegian spring-spawning herring suggest that this population may also experience reproductive senescence and that the phenomenon may occur broadly in the species.

A suite of statistical catch-at-age models with time-varying natural mortality (M), selectivity and catchability were fitted to data for eastern Georges Bank Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) and Georges Bank Yellowtail Flounder (Limanda ferruginea) to address hypotheses regarding nonstationarities in these systems. Model averaging and ensemble methods were used to combine the results of converged models for each species. Model averaging was based on both predictive (i.e., cross-validation, AIC) and retrospective performance metrics. Models allowing large shifts in M provided the best fit to observed data for both species and were also regarded as the most plausible. For Atlantic Cod, variance in biomass estimates among the individual models was very high and multimodel estimates were sensitive to the relative weight given to competing models. In contrast, converged Yellowtail Flounder models produced broadly similar output and multimodel estimates were more robust to model weights. Our results suggest that the plausibility of competing models should be scrutinized, particularly when structural uncertainty is high.

8 pages, 6 figures, 7 tables, The landing obligation in the revised European Union Common Fisheries Policy allows for exemptions to obligatory landing of the entire catch for species for which “high survival” of discards can be demonstrated. Nephrops norvegicus is an important target species in many fisheries across Europe in the Mediterranean Sea, NE Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Historically, Mediterranean fisheries have had a high discard rate of small-sized Nephrops, and it is suspected that this unwanted component of the catch may have a high survival potential that is comparable to those of other EU fisheries, where survival rates of up to 0.56 have been demonstrated. However, to date, no investigations have confirmed a high discard survival rate for Nephrops in the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, the environmental, technical and biological characteristics that could affect Nephrops survival have been shown to be substantially different from those in the survival assessments conducted in the NE Atlantic and the North Sea. To address this knowledge gap, this study was conducted to determine the survival of Nephrops discarded from trawls in the Mediterranean Sea. The survival and vitality status of the discarded Nephrops removed from trawl catches were monitored onboard and for 14 days in the laboratory. The results showed seasonality in survival, with the highest survival rate in winter (0.74; CI: 0.7−0.78), lower survival in spring (0.36; CI: 0.31−0.41) and the lowest survival in summer (0.06; CI: 0.04−0.09). Survival was monitored to the asymptote in all cases, and season and vitality status were shown to have statistically significant relationships with survival, This work was funded by the research project MINOUW (H2020-SFS-2014-2) of the European Commission (contract n° 634495), With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

Discard mortality (DM) estimates are vitally important to fisheries management. Commercial fishery DM estimates, for example, can help calculate total fishing mortality and biologically acceptable catch limits. The winter skate, Leucoraja ocellata, is the only species within the US portion of the western North Atlantic that is targeted in the skate wing fishery. However, due primarily to fishery regulations, this species is also routinely discarded at sea when daily quotas are reached. While already examined in mobile fishing gears (i.e. bottom otter trawls), DM has not been addressed for the western North Atlantic skate species captured in the sink gillnet fishery, and a conservative 50% DM is used across the species of the skate complex in the management processes. Given this data gap, we estimate the DM of winter skate in sink gillnets under standard commercial fishing conditions. The study methods employed address the issue of cryptic mortality (drop out of dead skates from the gear and depredation prior to retrieval), which can bias DM estimates low for bycatch in passive gear. The degree of injury sustained during capture and handling was found to be a statistically significant predictor of mortality. Overall mean DM rates reached an asymptote within 170 h of captivity, with estimates of 11% and 17% for females and males, respectively. Based on these results, the species appears more resilient to sink gillnet capture and release than previously thought. However, cryptic fishing mortality appeared to be high for extended soak times and likely represents an important focus of future research and management actions.

Due primarily to regulatory factors, skates (family Rajidae) account for nearly half the total bycatch discarded during commercial fishing operations in the U.S. portion of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. In this region the New England scallop dredge fishery has the second highest skate discard rate; however, no information regarding their resiliency to interaction with this gear type exists. To gain insight into species-specific mortality rates, 295 tows were conducted throughout six research cruises (2012–2013 fishing season), with a total of 4216 skates (little skate, Luecoraja erinacea, winter skate, Leucoraja ocellata, and barndoor skate, Dipturus laevis) evaluated and scored using reflex impairment and injury (i.e., overt physical trauma) indicators. To quantify mortality rates associated with these indicators, 334 skates were retained in an on-deck refrigerated flow-through seawater system and monitored every six-hours until the end of a trial. This study also assessed the effect of fishing conditions/practices and individual traits on post-release mortality. Data suggest that species-specific differences exist wherein winter skate are likely the most resilient (45.4% mortality) to capture and handling, little skate have a moderate capacity to deal with these pressures (62.7% mortality), and barndoor skate appear to be the most susceptible (99.9% mortality). In addition, little and winter skate mortality rates were both influenced by tow duration, while fishing depth and temperature gradient had an effect on little skate and air exposure on winter skate.

By 2019, the Common Fisheries Policy will prohibit discarding in all European fisheries of any pelagic, demersal or shellfish species for which removals are managed by TACs and quotas or minimum sizes. However, the regulation allows for exemptions from the prohibition for species for which scientific evidence demonstrates high survival rates associated with discarding. Producing reliable evidence of high survival typically requires long and costly studies involving tagging or captivity. This paper proposes to use the capacity to resist air exposure, a key stressor for discarded animals, as a proxy for survival that can be used to prioritize candidate species for more in-depth discard survival studies. The time required to induce mortality (TM) in air-exposed fish was estimated for ten discarded species under commercial fishing conditions for two artisanal French otter trawlers in the Bay of Biscay and in the English Channel. European seabass, plaice, sole and skates had extended TM values on average, suggesting that these species are good candidates. The three species observed in both regions (plaice, sole and skates) had larger TM values in the English Channel experiment compared to the Bay of Biscay experiment. Among the four measured external conditions that could influence TM (air temperature, fish length, tow depth and tow duration), the air temperature was the most important and the factor that most distinguished the two experiments.

Two vitality index approaches have been demonstrated to be good proxies of discard survival in similar fishing and environmental conditions: Reflex Action Mortality Predictors combined with injuries (RI) scores that measure the proportion of impaired reflexes and injuries, and a simpler, quicker, but less precise approach based on ordinal categories related to fish body movements and injuries (semi-quantitative assessment, SQA). This study assessed and compared these two approaches for five species (two flatfishes, skates, a seabass and a catshark) discarded in a coastal otter trawl fishery in the Bay of Biscay. All species displayed good vitality status according to both indices and were not very sensitive to the fishing nor their biological conditions. Still, flatfishes were more sensitive to discarding while the catshark was very resistant. Furthermore, depending on species, the impairment of some reflexes and injuries were associated to stressing factors, highlighting the potential of the approach but also the complexity involved in building a relevant score. The SQA index was highly correlated with the RI score and was sensitive to more sources of stressing factors for similar predictive performance. While the relevance of these two approaches should be ultimately determined by the strength and consistency of their association with discard survival, these results suggest that the RI approach was not more effective than SQA despite the extra labour and time involved in collecting the data.

International audience; Like many marine species around the globe, several stocks of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) live in increasingly hypoxic waters. In the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (GSL) in Canada, the deep channels traversing the semi-enclosed sea exhibit year-round hypoxia, identified as one of the limiting factor for the recovery of GSL cod in its northern part. While many individuals in the northern GSL are known to venture in deeper, warmer, and more hypoxic waters of the Gulf channels, those in the southern GSL live in a shallower, colder, and more oxygenated environment. In this study, we use the modeling framework of the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory to disentangle the effects of hypoxia, temperature and food on the life-history traits of these two populations of cod in the GSL. Following recent advances by Thomas et al. (2018, this issue) on the mechanisms for the effects of hypoxia within the context of DEB theory, we implemented a correction of ingestion depending on dissolved oxygen (DO) saturation. We successfully developed and validated a set of parameters for a GSL Atlantic cod DEB model. Using simulations of historical growth trajectories from 1990 until 2004 estimated from data collected through fisheries research surveys, we found that temperature explained about half (48%) of the difference in length and 59% of the difference in mass between the two populations. The remaining proportion was attributed to exposure to hypoxia and food input. We also used our model to explore scenarios of duration, frequency, and intensity of hypoxia on cod's life-history traits, which showed that decreasing DO linearly reduces growth and reproduction while young cod seem to avoid impairing conditions resulting in limiting effects on developmental stages.

In recent years, the recreational contribution to the total catch of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) has increased with recreational discards outnumbering recreational landings by 2:1. However, the discard mortality (DM) rate of cod released in the recreational fishery remains poorly understood, thus contributing to the uncertainty in stock assessments and fishery management plans. The current study examined the capture-related factors most detrimental to cod DM in the GOM recreational rod-and-reel fishery. Atlantic cod (n = 640; 26.0–72.0 cm) were angled from June–October 2013 on southern Jeffreys Ledge in the western GOM using fishing gear representative of the local recreational fishery. A subset (n = 136) was also tagged with pressure-sensing acoustic transmitters before being released into an acoustic receiver array (n = 31) deployed to monitor survival up to 94 days. To properly model DM up to the fishery-wide level, all cod were visually assessed for capture-related injuries according to a four-level injury score index. Mean tackle-specific DM rates of 15.4 and 21.2% were estimated for bait- and jig-captured cod, respectively, with an overall 16.5% mean DM rate for the 2013 GOM recreational cod fishery. Twenty-nine cod tagged with acoustic transmitters were identified as dead, where the majority (∼90%) died within 16 h post-capture. Upon evaluation with a specifically adapted parametric survival analysis, greater incidence of mortality was attributed to the capture and handling process (rather than release) for moderately and severely injured cod. Based on the capture-related factors associated with the highest injury rates, we recommend minimizing fight and handling times, avoiding areas with small cod, educating inexperienced anglers, and favouring bait over jigs to mitigate mortality. Results will continue to inform the development of fishery management plans and enhance survival through dissemination of “best practice” techniques to fishery stakeholders.

Improvements in electronic tag technology have enhanced the ability to monitor the post-release fate of fish and estimate discard mortality rates (DM) under real-world conditions. However, correctly estimating DM requires disentangling the influence of capture-related mortality from natural (background) mortality (M), particularly when M rates are elevated. To accomplish this, many published studies have used an ad hoc and largely arbitrary approach, assuming that all mortality occurring during a finite, non-standard, pre-defined period following release is strictly DM, and all mortality occurring after this period is M. This approach may lead to biased estimates of DM, which we illustrate using a simulation. Here we extend an existing parametric survival model to independently estimate DM and M from electronic tagging data generated by two DM experiments conducted on southern bluefin (Thunnus maccoyii) and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) tuna, species experiencing contrasting levels of M. In both cases, predation following release was an important cause of mortality that may have been facilitated by capture and discarding, and therefore part of DM or the DM experiment, or may have been natural. Using a multi-model approach based on model fit and biological plausibility, we consider different assumptions for these mortality processes and attempt to account for experimental (tag-induced) mortality. Despite the modest sample sizes of the case studies, we show how our approach can be used to provide bounds on the plausible magnitude of DM in support of possible subsequent fishery management actions such as the imposition of size limits or catch retention policies.

Reliable estimates of release or discard mortality (DM) rates for recreational and commercial fisheries are necessary for robust assessment of the effects of fishing on populations and for establishing effective regulatory measures concerning the release of fish. In situ experiments involving the tagging of released fish are most likely to produce accurate estimates given that experimental subjects are captured and released under representative fishery conditions. Data from electronic tags can be used to infer movement or behavioral patterns of released fish, from which mortality times can be derived to then estimate natural mortality and DM rates. However, resulting DM rate estimates are often of low precision (high variance) due to small sample sizes associated with the elevated cost of electronic tags. Alternatively, returns of traditional tags from small scale experiments constitute a relatively inexpensive means of estimating the relative DM rates of two or more groups (e.g., vitality or injury classes, capture methods) of released fish. Combining the two approaches when there are two or more groups of discarded individuals can be beneficial. First, results from the two methods can be used to assess whether experimental effects such as tag-related mortality could bias estimates of DM rates. Second, we propose a modelling approach that integrates data from these two types of tagging methods to produce absolute DM rate estimates that can be more precise than those obtained from electronic tagging alone. We show using simulations under which conditions precision is improved and how different allocations of effort to electronic and traditional tagging can be used to plan DM experiments with respect to the precision of estimates and cost. An example based on a recent study is presented to illustrate the application of the proposed approach.

Benefitting from reduced harvesting and an end to culling, many marine mammals are now recovering from past overexploitation. These recoveries represent important conservation successes but present a serious conservation problem when the recovering mammals are predators of species of conservation concern. Here, we examine the role of predation by recovering grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the near-extinction of a unique skate population in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) in Atlantic Canada. Winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata) in the sGSL are distinct from winter skate elsewhere and may represent an endemic species. Their adult abundance has declined by 98% since 1980, and these skates are now detectable in only a small fraction of their former range. Population modeling indicates that the ongoing collapse of this population is due to increases in the natural mortality of adults. Based on model projections, this population would be extinct by mid-century if its current rate of productivity were to persist. A second population model incorporated predation by grey seals. Model estimates of skate consumption by seals were consistent with historical and recent estimates of the contribution of skates to grey seal diets. The estimated consumption accounted for the increases in the natural mortality of adult skates. A Type III functional response for grey seals preying on winter skate emerged from the model results. This indicates that, when skate abundance is very low, grey seals are expected to switch to alternate prey, resulting in declines in the mortality of skates due to predation. Consequently, contrary to projections at current productivity, winter skate are expected to be trapped at very low abundance in a "predator pit" instead of declining to extinction. Nonetheless, extinction risk would remain very high at the very small population size in the predator pit. Our results emphasize the need for an ecosystem-based approach to the management of living resources in this ecosystem.

The post-release mortality of discarded fish can represent an additional source of mortality that is important to understand for effective marine fisheries management. To best estimate these mortality rates under near-natural conditions, a refrigerated flow-through seawater system was developed for short-term holding experiments at-sea aboard commercial fishing vessels, using accessory tanks containing heat exchanging coils cooled by an ice slurry. Ice was added to these tanks in one to two-hour intervals based on the cooling requirement. This system was capable of maintaining temperatures within one degree Celsius of target conditions for 93–96% of operation, creating an environment where post-release mortality could be evaluated without additional thermal stress.

1. Numerous studies have shown that, at spatial scales of metres to several kilometres, animals balance the trade-off between foraging success and predation mortality by increasing their use of safer but less profitable habitats as predation risk increases. However, it is less clear whether prey respond similarly at the larger spatiotemporal scales of many ecosystems. 2. We determine whether this behaviour is evident in a large marine ecosystem, the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL, 75 000 km(2) ) over a 42-year period. This ecosystem is characterized by a recent increase in the abundance of a large marine predator, the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus Fabricius), by more than an order of magnitude. 3. We compared changes in spatial distribution over the 1971-2012 period between important prey of grey seals (Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L.; white hake, Urophycis tenuis Mitchill; and thorny skate, Amblyraja radiata Donovan) and non-prey fishes. 4. Distribution was modelled using generalized additive models incorporating spatially variable effects of predation risk, density dependence and water temperature. Distributions of cod, hake and skate were strongly related to risk of predation by seals, with distribution shifting into lower risk areas as predation risk increased. Non-prey species did not show similar changes in habitat use. Spatial variation in fish condition suggests that these low-risk areas are also less profitable for cod and skate in terms of food availability. The effects of density dependence and water temperature were also important in models, but did not account for the changes in habitat use as the risk of predation increased. 5. These results indicate that these fish are able to assess and respond to spatial variation in predation risk at very large spatial scales. They also suggest that non-consumptive 'risk' effects may be an important component of the declines in productivity of seal prey in this ecosystem, and of the indirect effects at lower trophic levels.

Conservation concerns and new management policies such as the implementation of ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management are motivating an increasing need for estimates of mortality associated with commercial fishery discards and released fish from recreational fisheries. Traditional containment studies and emerging techniques using electronic tags on fish released to the wild are producing longitudinal mortality-time data from which discard or release mortalities can be estimated, but where there may also be a need to account analytically for other sources of mortality. In this study, we present theoretical and empirical arguments for a parametric mixture-distribution model for discard mortality data. We show, analytically and using case studies for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides), and winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata), how this model can easily be generalized to incorporate different characteristics of discard mortality data such as distinct capture, post-release and natural mortalities, and delayed mortality onset. In simulations over a range of conditions, the model provided reliable parameter estimates for cases involving both discard and natural mortality. These results support this modelling approach, indicating that it is well suited for data from studies in which fish are released to their natural environment. The model was found to be less reliable in simulations when there was a delay in discard mortality onset, though such an effect appears only in a minority of existing discard mortality studies. Overall, the model provides a flexible framework in which to analyse discard mortality data and to produce reliable scientific advice on discard mortality rates and possibilities for mitigation.

There is limited understanding of the relationship between mobile gear fishing intensity and the magnitude of the resulting perturbation in marine benthic communities. Theory predicts that instantaneous fishing-induced mortality should generally scale directly with fishing intensity. This study used a before–after-impact experimental design with 16 fishing intensity levels to assess the impact of scallop dredging on benthic communities at two experimental sites. Few instances of statistically significant effects of fishing intensity were detected for individual taxa, although there was some evidence of impacts on community structure at one site. In contrast, short-term natural abundance fluctuations were much more prevalent and were of a magnitude similar to that estimated to be produced by fairly intense fishing, as would occur in only very limited geographic areas in the commercial fishery. Post-hoc simulations used to estimate the statistical power of the study suggest that true effects of elevated fishing mortalities could reasonably be detected, but that power was low for small instantaneous fishing mortalities. This situation is comparable to other well-designed mobile gear impact studies that reported power. The simulations also revealed comparable levels of statistical power for correctly detecting abundance changes due to fishing and due to natural fluctuations. The results of this study taken in the context of the commercial fishery suggest that impacts of scallop dredging on the local benthic communities are small with respect to natural variation in the ecosystem. This study highlights the need to account for natural spatio-temporal variation in the designs of studies of mobile fishing gear impacts. Failure to do so increases the risk of drawing incorrect conclusions.

Species that have a high likelihood of surviving the discarding process have become great concern since the European Union reformed the Common Fisheries Policy and enacted a landing obligation prohibiting the discarding any individuals of species under quota. Among species presenting an elevated survival potential, plaice ( Pleuronectes platessa ) is one of the most discarded in the coastal otter trawl fishery in the English Channel. The objective of this study is to provide the most reliable estimates of plaice survival after release in commercial conditions, and to identify the factors that influence survival rates. A captivity experiment was conducted in January–February in the English fishery to assess the survival of discarded plaice as a function of a semi-quantitative index of fish vitality, which has been demonstrated to be a good proxy of fish survival in comparable fishing and environmental conditions. This study examined the potential of this index to estimate discard survival in three trials from the English and French fisheries and at three different seasons. The vitality index was then used to analyse the influence of several factors (fishing practices, environmental conditions and fish biological characteristics) on the discard survival. The survival rates for plaice were accurately estimated at 62.8% in January–February, 66.6% in November and 45.2% in July. While these rates remained substantial whatever the fishing, environmental or fish biological conditions, the time fish spent on the deck, the bottom and air temperatures, the tow depth and the fish length had a significant influence on plaice survival. In practice, plaice survival could be enhanced by releasing the fish early during catch sorting and avoiding exposure to extreme air temperatures.

High natural mortality is preventing the recovery of collapsed stocks of Atlantic cod and white hake in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada. Predation by grey seals has been proposed as an important cause of this high mortality. We determined the contribution of cod and hake to the diet of grey seals collected along the west coast of Cape Breton Island and in the Cabot Strait, an area where overwintering cod aggregate. Along the coast of Cape Breton Island, the contribution of hake and cod to the diet was 30 and 17%, respectively, by weight using stomach contents and 13 and 9%, respectively, based on intestine contents. In the Cabot Strait, when overwintering aggregations of cod were present, cod accounted for 68% (range 57–80%) of the male diet from stomachs, and 46% (range: 31–64%) of the diet determined from intestines. Among females, cod represented 14% (range: 0–34%) and 9% (range: 3–54%) of the diet from stomachs and intestines, respectively. In Cabot Strait, white hake accounted for up to 17% of the diet by weight from stomachs, and up to 6% of the diet determined from intestines. The mean length of cod consumed by seals was 28 cm (SD = 8.6) along the coast of Cape Breton Island, and 39 cm (SD = 5.7) in Cabot Strait. The mean length of hake consumed by seals was 29 cm (SD = 7.0) along the coast of Cape Breton Island, and 35 cm (SD = 5.6) in Cabot Strait. Cod and hake are more important to the diet of males than that of females. The contribution of cod to the diet of grey seals foraging in the cod overwintering area is much greater than has been reported elsewhere.

Few studies have examined discard survival in beam trawl fisheries, especially in 4 m beam trawl fisheries using chain mats and limited haul durations. This so-called “eurocutter” fishery is carried out by beam trawlers with an engine power ≤221 kW and is allowed in the 6 to 12 nm zone in contrast to larger beam trawlers which operate solely outside of the 12 nm limit. Chain mat beam trawling was developed to prevent large boulders from entering the net, and is typically conducted at lower fishing speed than tickler chain beam trawling. This study obtained short-term survival estimates for this “eurocutter” fishery by monitoring post-capture mortality in tank-held organisms. Survival was high to very high (>75%) for benthic invertebrates, but not for fish. All examined whiting (Merlangius merlangus) and pouting (Trisopterus sp.) died. Only 14% of sole (Solea solea) survived to 91 h of observation, and 48% of plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) to 77 h. The survival probability was higher for cod (Gadus morhua) (66% to 88 h) and skates (Rajidae) (72% to 80 h). However, the mortality rate had not stabilized within the period of observation. Survival models were used to estimate the minimum duration of captivity required to properly evaluate short-term survival, and to investigate the role of physical injuries and other pertinent covariates (catch weight, fish length, fishing depth, salinity, sea surface temperature, air temperature and fishing trip) in determining fish discard survival. The results of this study indicate a high variability in discard survival amongst taxa and highlight that physical injuries when taken alone are a limited proxy for survival of 4 m beam trawl discards and that small fish specimens have a limited chance of surviving discarding.

Biomass samples from marine scientific surveys are commonly used to investigate spatial and temporal variations in stock abundances. Biomass records are often characterized by a high proportion of zeros on the one hand, and occasional large catches on the other. These features induce a modeling challenge when trying to understand the state of populations and their ecological associations with one another and with habitat. We develop a hierarchical Bayesian model to represent the spatial structure of biomass and analyze the spatial distribution and habitat associations of three species of macro-invertebrates sampled in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada). A zero-inflated distribution based on a compound Poisson with Gamma marks is used for the observation layer, and a linear model with spatial correlated errors accounts for the role of habitat variables (temperature, depth and sediment type) in the process layer. Maps of quantities of interest (e.g. probability of presence, quantity of biomass) are produced, taking into account the uncertainty of the estimated parameters and observation errors. This hierarchical Bayesian modeling approach provides a useful tool for spatial management of human activities that may affect living resources that may affect living resources, such as marine protected areas. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Benoît, H. P. 2013. Two decades of annual landed and discarded catches of three southern Gulf of St Lawrence skate species estimated under multiple sources of uncertainty. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 554–563. Estimating fishery impacts on commercially unimportant species is often hindered by limited and possibly biased data for landed and discarded catch, and poor information on discard mortality. The three skate (family Rajidae) species occurring in southern Gulf of St Lawrence (Canada) exemplify this problem. Assessing the contribution of fishing to important declines in their adult abundance has been complicated by catch data that are not disaggregated by species, concerns about the reliability of discard amounts estimated from fisheries observer surveys, and unknown discard mortality rates. An approach is presented for producing annual estimates of landed and discarded catch, as well as discard mortality rates, for the three species for the period 1991–2011. The approach used data from landing statistics and from observer surveys, and models for disaggregating mixed fishery catches into their constituent species and for estimating minimum discard mortalities. Bootstrapping was used to propagate errors associated with different components of the estimation process. The estimation was partly validated by comparing recorded landings with landings estimated from fisheries observer surveys. This paper demonstrates how multiple sources of uncertainty in discard loss estimation can be addressed by dividing the estimation process into linked components that can be individually addressed and ideally validated.

a b s t r a c t Obtaining a representative estimate of discard mortality for population and ecosystem assessments is very challenging. This can only rarely be done directly by recovering tagged discarded individuals. Instead, semi-quantitative measures of individual fish vitality or physical condition, obtained by onboard observers prior to discarding, can be used. Such vitality measures can be a good indicator of discard mor- tality, and by virtue of the data collection method, should also reflect the condition of discards throughout the fishery. Furthermore, vitality can be predicted using covariates known to affect discard mortality, allowing for a more general assessment. We argue that a representative mortality rate can be estimated using the product of at least two probabilities: that of belonging to a particular vitality class, conditional on the factors experienced during capture and catch handling; and the probability of surviving the event, conditional on pre-release vitality. Here we estimate mortalities for five fish taxa captured in south- ern Gulf of St. Lawrence fisheries. The conditional survival probabilities were obtained using survival analysis of data from experiments in which fish were captured using commercial fishing methods and held to assess short-term mortality (2-3 days). The analysis included a mixture model with a fraction of unaffected individuals, which appears appropriate for data from bycatch mortality studies. Based on this study and the mechanistic interpretation of the mixture model, short-term monitoring of discard mortality may be sufficient to characterize longer term impacts in a number of taxa.

Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) emphasizes sustainability at multiple levels of organization beyond single target species. Therefore, biological reference points (BRPs) for aggregated groups are required, which optimize yields while preventing overexploitation of in- dividual species. We evaluate the tradeoffs between yield and biodiversity objectives for a wide range of aggregation strategies using multispecies surplus production models and comparing 2 simulated fish communities. We simulated population trajectories with an operating model de - tailing predation and competitive interactions for all individual species within each community, and with additional stochastic environmental variability for one community. Species trajectories were then aggregated by functional feeding guild, taxonomy, habitat association, size class, and at the entire community level. We estimated production parameters and BRPs (e.g. maximum sustainable yield, MSY) using a simple assessment model applied to each aggregated time series, then we ap- plied the MSY fishing rates to each simulated community as alternative fishing strategies and com- pared equilibrium biomass and yield under each strategy. We were able to define multi-species ref- erence points to meet both yield and biodiversity objectives across full system, taxonomic, habitat, feeding, and size-based aggregations. Species complexes were best able to meet both objectives when species with broadly similar productivity, environmental sensitivity and species interactions were aggregated into the complex. The impacts of simulated environmental variability on BRPs were substantial for certain species and aggregates, so including the combined impacts of environ- mental variation and species interactions in precautionary reference points appears critical to EBFM.

Chaput, G., and Benoît, H. P. 2012. Evidence for bottom–up trophic effects on return rates to a second spawning for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from the Miramichi River, Canada. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 1656–1667. Increased return rates of consecutive repeat-spawning Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) have been noted in the Miramichi River during the past two decades, and the short period for their reconditioning at sea suggests that they occupy the southern Gulf of St Lawrence ecosystem. A 40-year time-series of observations was used to examine linkages between return rates to a second spawning for Atlantic salmon in the Miramichi River and changes in the small fish community of the southern Gulf of St Lawrence that is potential prey for adult salmon. The positive association between the variations in the return rates of repeat spawners and the variations in the small fish biomass index early in the reconditioning year at sea provides evidence that abundant food supplies after return to sea following first spawning may be beneficial for the survival of Atlantic salmon to a second consecutive spawning. In contrast, no association was found between prey availability and return rates of alternate repeat spawners that presumably recondition outside the Gulf of St Lawrence.

Despite 2 decades of very low fishing levels, numerous NW Atlantic demersal fish stocks have failed to recover from collapsed states or are presently collapsing. In the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, adult natural mortality (M) appears to be the demographic rate that most limits population productivity in at least 3 species: Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, white hake Urophycis tenuis and winter skate Leucoraja ocellata. The causes of elevated M are not well understood, though there is indirect evidence consistent with an effect of predation by grey seals Halichoerus grypus. However, direct evidence is lacking due to uncertainty in the seal diet. Consequently, Monte Carlo simulations were undertaken using data on the spatial overlap between the seals and the fishes and a seal food-consumption model, to estimate the plausibility that different seal-diet compositions could explain observed M levels. Under the simulation assumptions, we find that predation could explain up to 20 to 50% of M in adult white hake and cod even if these species comprise a small percentage of grey seal diets (

Understanding the factors affecting the likelihood that discarded fish will die can contribute to better management of resources by enhancing the potential for successful live release and by improving the estimation of otherwise unaccounted fishing mortality. Semi-quantitative measures of individual fish vitality or physical condition, obtained by at-sea observers aboard commercial fishing vessels, are often used as an indicator of survival potential for discarded fish. The present study and previous ones have shown that these measures relate well to eventual survival. However, observer subjectivity in fish vitality scoring can affect the precision and accuracy of inferences drawn from an analysis of the observations. Here we propose the use of a mixed-effects multinomial proportional-odds model, which is appropriate for modelling ordinal vitality data and is a useful approach for addressing observer scoring subjectivity. This model was used to analyse data collected for eleven fish taxa captured by four gear types. The effect of eight factors previously shown to affect discard survival was evaluated. The gear type used and amount of time that fish spent on deck prior to discarding most strongly and consistently affected the distribution of fish among vitality levels. Sea surface and air temperatures, and fish body size, were also important factors for a number of taxa, while other factors such as the depth fished, catch size and fishing activity duration were important only for certain taxa. A random effect in the model, used to account for observer subjectivity, was significant for most taxa and fisheries. Failure to account for this effect could affect both the precision and accuracy of inferences on the survival potential of discarded fish.

Some fishery characteristics such as total discards are often inferred from data collected by at-sea observers on a subset of fishing trips. Such inference is predicated on the assumption that observed and unobserved trips are statistically exchangeable. There are two principal reasons why this may not be so. A deployment effect results from nonrandom distribution of observers among sampling units. An observer effect results from changes in fishing practice or location when observers are present. Both effects can impact the precision and accuracy of fishery-level inferences drawn from observer data, though this is rarely addressed quantitatively. We found evidence for deployment and observer effects in Gulf of St. Lawrence fisheries. The impact of deployment bias was further quantified by resampling from fisheries data collected with 100% observer coverage. We conclude that the nature of the effects observed in our study preclude merely correcting observer-collected catch data for possible biases and imprecision. Furthermore, regulatory compliance monitoring by observers in the existing program may not be completely effective. Modifications to program structure would therefore be beneficial and some suggestions are evaluated in this paper.

We describe dramatic shifts in the species composition of the marine fish community of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence using a 35-year time series of catch rates in an annual bottom-trawl survey. We attempt to understand the causes of these changes using a traits-based approach that relates the similarity among species in their abundance trends to similarities in their ecological traits. We selected traits based on a priori beliefs of how each should reflect susceptibility to changes in a different external factor potentially affecting the community. We found evidence for an effect of ocean climate and top-down effects of fishing and seal predation, but not for bottom-up effects of prey availability on adult fishes. Mean body length in the community decreased dramatically in the 1990s. This reflected the removal of large-bodied fishes by fishing and sharp increases in the abundance of small fishes. The biomass of small fish was inversely correlated with an index of predation on those fish by larger fish, suggesting strong predator control of the abundance of small-bodied fishes. Our results suggest that changes in ocean climate combined with direct and indirect effects of harvesting can dramatically and rapidly alter the composition of marine fish communities.

Cercopagis pengoi, a zooplanktivore first discovered in Lake Ontario in 1998, may reduce availability of prey for planktivorous fish. Cercoapgis pengoi is most abundant in late summer and fall. Therefore, we hypothesized that abundance of small zooplankton (bosminids and cyclopoids) species would decrease at that time. To determine if the establishment of C. pengoi was followed by changes in the zooplankton community, seasonal patterns in nearshore zooplankton collected from May to October 1995–2000 were examined. Early summer density of small zooplankton was similar in all years while late summer and fall densities were significantly lower in 1998–2000 than in 1995–1997. The declines of small zooplankton coincided seasonally with the peak in C. pengoi density. Other possible causes for the observed changes in small zooplankton are less likely. High levels of fish predation should have resulted in smaller zooplankton in 1998–2000 than in 1995–1997 and larger declines in Daphnia than other groups....

The predatory impacts of Cercopagis pengoi, a planktivorous cladoceran first observed in Lake Ontario in 1998, were assessed by examining patterns in the distribution and population dynamics of macrozooplankton. Specifically, we determined the vertical distribution of C. pengoi in Lake Ontario with respect to other zooplankton species and possible biotic and abiotic controlling factors and used seasonal time series of potential prey species, both before and after C. pengoi invasion, to make inferences about predatory impacts of C. pengoi. The highest abundances of C. pengoi generally occurred at the bottom of the epilimnion or at the top of the metalimnion, and strong diel vertical migration was not observed. The vertical distribution of cyclopoid and calanoid nauplii and copepodids was deeper in 1999 than had historically been observed, which suggest possible avoidance of C. pengoi or localized predatory depletion. Seasonal analyses of normalized biomass size spectra from the Bay of Quinte supported an impact of C. pengoi on organisms ,0.1 mg dry weight. The hypothesized predatory effect on juvenile copepods was supported by an analysis of seasonal time series, where we observed that high abundances of C. pengoi coincided with marked decreases in these groups. Consequently, the presence of C. pengoi likely decreases the production of juvenile copepods both through direct predation and through a shift of copepod vertical distribution to colder waters. Among the cladocerans, only Bosmina longirostris abundance declined in the presence of C. pengoi in the analysis of seasonal time series.

Patterns in increment widths and the associated measurement error were studied in the otoliths of radiated shanny (Ulvaria subbifurcata) larvae sampled from the field. Mean increment widths increased with larval age, whereas the relative measurement error decreased. Furthermore, the level of serial correlation in increment widths showed a clear increase with age. When measurement error was taken into consideration, the pattern of serial correlation indicates that an individual's growth increments did not show the effect of changes in local environmental conditions for at least 3 days, independent of age. Only after that period can we hope to detect the effect of environmental influences on increment widths (and by inference growth rates). The patterns of measurement error and serial correlation will have direct impacts on our ability to find the influence of environmental conditions on growth rates of individual larvae and determine patterns of selective loss in a population of larval fish.

We present a summary of variability in age and length at metamorphosis for marine fishes. Data from the literature were partitioned into taxonomic, population, and individual levels of resolution to examine the factors affecting the timing of metamorphosis. Temperature appears to be a dominant influence on timing, likely due to its effect on growth rate. Interspecifically, length at metamorphosis correlated poorly with that at hatching but was significantly related to temperature. This pattern was inconsistent for population-level comparisons. Metamorphic age decreased exponentially with increasing temperature in interspecific and population-level comparisons but did not covary with length for either level of resolution. This suggests that age at metamorphosis largely reflects the time required to grow to a given metamorphic length. Within populations, the correlation between metamorphic age and length increases with growth rate, a reflection of variance in age and length. A strong exponential relationship between mean metamorphic age and length and their associated variability (SD) exists, with a slope greater than unity in both cases (i.e., variability increases relative to the mean). With these relationships, we can infer the manner in which individual variability in metamorphic traits is generated throughout ontogeny. These results are considered in light of recruitment variability in marine fishes.

Experimental populations of the cannibalistic livebearer, Gambusia affinis, were exposed to varying degrees of shelter for juveniles vulnerable to cannibalism by adults. High densities of shelter significantly reduced the effects of cannibalism and effectively maintained reproducing populations throughout the experiment (380 days). Population densities continuously declined in medium and low refuge density treatments due to a lack of recruitment. The size distributions of fish in these treatments narrowed with time, although the rate at which this occurred was greater in the low refuge density treatment.

We assessed the extent to which temperature interacts with maternal contributions to egg size to affect development time and size of yellowtail flounder (Pleuronectes ferrugineus) larvae at hatch. Maternal effects contributed significantly to differences in egg sizes produced by four females. Eggs from each female were incubated at five temperatures. Development time was most significantly affected by temperature, and female effects were minimal. However, the variance in development time within a population was significantly affected by an interaction between female and temperature effects. Average length at hatch varied significantly among temperatures and females, as did the variance in hatching length within a population. Variance in hatching length explained by maternal effects peaked at intermediate temperatures (~38% explained variance at 7°C), while variance explained by covariation with development time increased linearly with temperature, explaining ~40% variance at 13°C. Overall, the nonadditive interaction between maternal contributions and the environment suggests that female effects must be considered over the entire range of environmental conditions experienced by their progeny. In addition, our results support the idea that it is inappropriate to quantify female effects among eggs and extrapolate these differences to larvae.

We studied individual variability in growth and development rates of yellowtail flounder Pleuronectes ferrugineus larvae, and its impact on age and size at metamorphosis. Larvae were reared from hatch to metamorphosis in 3 separate temperature treatments. Temperature influenced the location and distribution of individual transition ages and lengths of larvae reared in separate aquaria, mainly due to its role in determining the mean and range of individual growth rates. Individual metamorphic ages were negatively correlated with the average growth rate of larvae. Individual metamorphic lengths generally increased as mean individual growth rates increased, but higher mean growth also resulted in a wider diversity of lengths. In one of the treatments, the otoliths of the larvae were stained 3 times during the larval period using alizarin complexone, allowing us to reconstruct the growth history of individuals once they had metamorphosed. The body length that larvae had achieved by 2 wk after hatch correlated negatively with the eventual age at metamorphosis. This relationship strengthened the nearer larvae were to metamorphosis. These results were attributed to serial autocorrelations in body length, and to a lesser extent growth rate, for individuals during the larval period. Overall these results suggest that events occurring early during ontogeny that affect the size and growth rates of larvae can impact life history transitions occurring several weeks or months later. As a result, variance in the timing of metamorphosis, which has been suggested as an important determinant of recruitment variability, may become established soon after hatching, and individual probabilities of survival to the juvenile stage may also be determined early on.

Flour beetles of the genus Tribolium are known for population dynamics characterized by periodic cycling in the abundance of egg and larval stages, along with stability of pupal and adult densities. Previous modeling efforts have suggested that these dynamics are internally driven by cannibalistic interactions among certain life stages. The current study examines empirically the role of cannibalism in generating the population dynamics. Populations of Tribolium confusum were physically manipulated by segregating certain stages in separate containers every four days, effectively creating a refuge from cannibalism. We experimentally manipulated rates of cannibalism of eggs and pupae by adults, and cannibalism of eggs by larvae. The stage-structured dynamics of 21 separate populations were observed for 284 d. Our results support the prediction that larval cannibalism of eggs was responsible for generating cycling among these stages. Egg cannibalism by adults tended to have a stabilizing role as did pupal can...