Rockfish: Canary

Rock cod, Pacific snapper

N/A

Canary rockfish are one of 37 species of rockfish presently known in Canada’s Pacific waters. Like most Rockfish species, Canary rockfish have life history characteristics which make them vulnerable to fishing impacts. Characteristics include long life span, slow to reach full maturity, physoclistic swimbladders (which do no allow them to survive rapid changes in pressure which happen when they are brought to the surface) and moderate growth rates.

Overall, the life history characteristics of canary rockfish suggest that they have a moderate inherent vulnerability to fishing pressure (yellow). When the intrinsic rate of increase is known it serves as the basis of the ranking.

Overall, canary rockfish are given a “red” or high conservation concern ranking for this criterion based on a fully exploited status, declining trends, and an unnatural age structure in the area where most of the catch is taken. The decision was based primarily on data from the WCVI stock. Trends in the QCS stock is largely unknown but there is some evidence of both a long term decline and a recent increase. The WCVI status is corroborated by similar trends from adjacent US waters. Given that most of the catch (65%) is from southern waters an overall BC ranking of red is warranted.

Because this fishery has very good data, the bycatch ratio of all biomass being captured in the fishery is well known and was found to be moderate. Although a species of concern is regularly and likely impeding recovery, the overall trend in bycatch is stable which results in an overall rank of yellow or moderate.

This criterion is given a severe ranking (red) based on the impacts of fishing gear alone. Both the spatial extent of the impact and the resilience of the habitat trawled are also red but do not constitute a critical conservation concern.

This criterion is given an overall ranking of ineffective or red. While the stock has been apparently maintained for several decades based on recorded catches, recent trends indicate that the abundance is low relative to historical levels. Management has not adjusted the total allowable catch (TAC) accordingly, and has actually set the TAC above the precautionary level recommended in the most recent stock assessment.

Was this fish bottom trawled or caught by hook and line?

Consumption advisory due to mercury.

No.