QUOTAS, SEASONS, LICENSES
The Canadian quota for white hake for
1997 was 500 tonnes. The season
for white hake and for all groundfish is
generally between July 15-October 31
(this may be cut short is quota is caught before
ending date). Licenses for
all groundfish were given out to 3 divisions in
St. Georges Bay. Division 1
had 43 licenses, division 2 had 99 licenses,
division 3 had 83 licenses.
STOCK STATUS
The fishery for white hake in NAFO division 4T
may be at its lowest level
since the first quota was put in place in 1982.
Frequent and in some cases
almost continuous closures of the fishery in
some areas undoubtedly
contributed to the record low landings of 939
tonnes in 1994 (nearly 85%
below the average, for the period 1960-94). In
1994, 64% of the landings were
taken by longlines and less than 15% were taken
by mobile gears. Since 1988,
the majority (90%) of the white hake landings in
the southern Gulf have been
taken from statistical unit areas occupied by
the "Strait" component of the
stock (i.e., 4Tg, 4Th, 4Tj, 4Tl, 4Tm and 4Tn).
In 1994, 81% of the landings of
white hake were from unit area 4Tg alone.
Fewer older (i.e., age 6 and over) white hake
have been caught since 1990 and
the fishery was dependant on only 2 to 3 age
groups in 1994, compared to 5
or 6 age groups in 1989.
Results from the 1994 research vessel survey
indicated that the abundance
and biomass of white hake in NAFO division 4T
continue to be at very low
levels. The research vessel abundance index
declined slightly from the 1993
level, which represented a reduction of about
50% from the 1992 level. This
index is at its lowest level since 1972. An
examination of the length composition
of white hake caught during the 1994 survey
showed that the abundance of
larger white hake was caught in the western part
of the southern Gulf in 1994
and 1993, and there appears to have been a
contraction of their geographic
range in recent years.
Considering the low abundance and indications of
weak incoming recruitment,
rebuilding of this stock will probably occur slowly.