A population model for the Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) spawning population of the Saint John River, New Brunswick

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Language of the publication
English
Date
2024
Type
Report
Author(s)
  • Huynh, Quang C.
  • Themelis, Daphne
  • Bradford, Rodney G.
Publisher
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat

Abstract

An assessment of Atlantic Sturgeon in the Saint John River (SJR), New Brunswick is presented. A two-sex age-structured model was developed using stock synthesis (SS3) software with data from the commercial landings from the SJR and Bay of Fundy (BoF). Sensitivity analyses explored various assumptions in the population model, including historical depletion in the early SJR fishery (late 19th century), selectivity of the SJR fishery, the magnitude of catches in the Bay of Fundy, sex ratio of catches, and steepness of the Beverton-Holt stock-recruit relationship. In most scenarios, the female Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) was estimated to be above SSBMSY (the SSB at maximum sustainable yield) in 2020. Short-term (10-year) projections indicated that with the current Total Allowable Catch (TAC; 175 males and 175 females), the biomass would decline but remain above SSBMSY. Historical depletion since 1891 (three generations) are also presented for the purposes of Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessment (COSEWIC 2011). A separate analysis for the tagging data estimated fishing mortality since 2009 to be similar in trend and magnitude to those from the SS3 models.

Description

1 online resource (iv, 61 pages) : charts

Subject

  • Nature and environment,
  • Water

Pagination

iv, 61 pages

Identifiers

Government document number
Fs70-5/2024-052E-PDF
ISBN
9780660723839
ISSN
1919-5044

Report

Report no.
2024/052
Series title
Research Document (Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat)

Citation(s)

Huynh, Q.C., Themelis, D. and Bradford, R.G. 2024. A Population Model for the Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) Spawning Population of the Saint John River, New Brunswick. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2024/052. iv + 61 p.

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Fisheries

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