Assessment of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (4RST) Greenland Halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) Stock in 2024

Abstract

Status The stock status indicator for Greenland halibut in 2024, estimated at 11,240 t, is above the LRP with a moderately high probability, placing the stock in the lower end of the Cautious Zone of the Precautionary Approach (PA). The relative exploitation rate in 2024 is close to zero and has reached the lowest value in the series starting in 1996. Trends The stock status indicator has been trending downward since the mid-2000s and reached, in 2024, one of the lowest values in the time series starting in 1990. The relative exploitation rate has been declining sharply since 2020. Since 2020, no high abundance cohort has been observed. Ecosystem and Climate Change Considerations Although temperatures and dissolved oxygen concentrations in deeper waters have stabilized over the past two years, this stock remains exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions and no changes in its depth distribution have been observed. Low prey availability for Greenland halibut appears to have had a recent negative impact on feeding intensity and condition, which is likely to have negatively affected growth and survival, which are key factors determining stock productivity. Stock Advice Stock status may continue to decline in the short term due to lack of strong recruitment since 2020. According to the harvest control rule for this stock, the 2024 stock status indicator would correspond to a maximum exploitation rate of 2.58% and a catch option of 290 t for the 2025-2026 and 2027-2028 fishing seasons in the GSL. Other Management Considerations The prolonged soak times of gillnets used in the directed fishery for Greenland halibut lead to significant losses of decomposed fish that are not retained in the nets. A recent study estimated that the total number of fish killed by fishing would have been, on average, five times higher than the quantities landed annually.