38 MSIIfRllS MANAC.rMFNT 



direct rcspiHisibililN ol itic IX'iMiimciU o\ Iishcrics and 

 Ck:eans. The Department divides its icsjionsihilities 

 among three divisions: the South Coast I)ivisn)n covers 

 Juan de Fuca and Cieorgia Straits and the west coast ol 

 Vancouver Island; the North Coast Division covers the 

 rH>rth and central coast and the Queen Charlotte Islands; 

 and the F'raser River-Northern B.C.-\'ukon Division cov- 

 ers the Fraser River itself (including the estuarial com- 

 mercial fishing area) and the small lishcnes in the trans- 

 Kiundar\ nvers of Yuki>n (see also Chapter 19). But, for 

 the troll fisherv. most piilicv decisions are made at the 

 Director General level because the relevant stocks inter- 

 mingle, and Canada and the United States cooperate 

 informally in managing chinook stocks coastwide. 



Herring 



Herring, like other small pelagic fishes, are relatively 

 short lived, prone to violent fluctuations, notorious for 

 sttx'k collapses and difficult to manage. Before the stocks 

 collapsed in the nud 1960s, their rate of rejuvenation was 

 believed to be relatively affected by the abundance of 

 spawners, but there is now little doubt that overfishing 

 cau.sed sticks to collapse. When most stocks recovered in 

 the early 1970s, it was hoped that production could be 

 restored and maintained with larger spawning popula- 

 tions. But recruitments have been variable; and under the 

 intensive exploitation of the roe-herring fishery, the 

 stocks seem to be unstable. 



The major challenge to herring managers is in regulat- 

 ing the roe-herring fishery. (The catches in the food, bait 

 and other herring fisheries are relatively small.) Fishing 

 takes place on or near the spawning grounds, where the 

 fish are highly vulnerable; the fishery is short and intense, 

 and the stocks are exploited by a fleet with enormous 

 excess capacity — all of which makes this fishery difficult 

 to manage. 



For purposes of roe-herring fishing, the coast is divided 

 into three broad management zones (the north coast, the 

 Strait of Georgia, and the west coast of Vancouver 

 Island), and the licensing system divides the fleet among 

 these zones. Within these zones, 34 specific herring areas 

 have been identified; these are the effective management 

 units, where fishing openings are declared if sufficient 

 spawning stocks appear. Some units are only an inlet or 

 bay; others, especially in northern waters, encompass a 

 broad range of coast. The Department's approach is to 

 set a target for spawner escapement in each unit, to moni- 

 tor the spawning populations as they aggregate on the 

 grounds, and to permit harvesting of the populations sur- 

 plus to the escapement target. 



Other Species 



The other species on the Pacific coast present varying 

 management difficulties. As I explained in Chapter 2, the 



pressure of lishiiig has had a heavy impact on some 

 stocks. The halibut stocks, despite the efforts of the Inter- 

 national Pacific Halibut Commission, have tleclinetl and 

 remain depres.sed. In contrast, many of the traditional 

 species (Pacific cod, lingcod and flatfish) are relatively 

 fast growing and short lived; and, at present, they do not 

 appear to be in danger ot Overexploitation. 



A third group of groundfish species has only recently 

 begun to be exploited by Canadian fishermen; these 

 include a new fishery for walleye pollock, a trap fishery 

 for sablefish and a trawl fishery for Pacific hake 



Becau.se groundfish stocks are available for fishing 

 throughout most of the year, harvesting is not as hectic as 

 in the salmon and herring fisheries, and regulatory prob- 

 lems are consequently less difficult. Nor have the 

 resources attracted as much excessive fishing pressure 

 from Canadian fleets as have the major fisheries. 



The Department has taken advantage of these less 

 demanding circumstances to develop a well-based, con- 

 servative management regime that appears to be working 

 well. Data collection and scientific analyses on tradi- 

 tional groundfish stocks is particularly well developed. 



Management of the wide variety of shellfish, Crustacea 

 and other invertebrate species depends on a variety of 

 regulatory techniques, but because the stocks are numer- 

 ous, small and widely scattered, their management is not 

 as intensive as other fisheries. 



For the most part, management of these minor species 

 has been based on sparse information about stock sizes 

 and productivity, and so it has been exploratory in 

 nature. Improved biological information on invertebrate 

 stocks would undoubtedly improve the prospects for 

 developing these fisheries. And since the value of land- 

 ings in these minor fisheries has approached that of 

 groundfish in recent years, a more systematic approach to 

 their management is warranted. 



Elements of Fisheries Management 



Fisheries management has five essential elements: 



i) Compiling and analyzing information on the dynam- 

 ics offish populations. 



ii) Formulating long-term plans and strategies for each 

 stock or group of stocks, involving goals with respect 

 to the number of spawners required to produce max- 

 imum sustainable yields and the best harvesting 

 techniques. 



iii) Establishing pre-season goals with respect to the 

 amounts and types of fishing to be conducted (pre- 

 season fishing plans). 



iv) Developing the arrangements for regulating fishing 

 during the fishing season (in-season management). 



