Informing the Conservation and Management of Pacific Herring on Canadas West Coast

The complexity of movement and behaviour in Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) stocks targeted by commercial and indigenous fisheries in BC is poorly understood and often discounted in fisheries management policies, possibly contributing to recent stock declines. We propose to inform spatial management strategies for herring on the central coast of BC with (I) local knowledge from commercial and indigenous fishers, (II) a field survey that will compare coastal areas with differing management strategies and (III) a field experiment that will quantify affects from recently observed shifts in spawning behaviour. We expect our results will reveal recent changes in spawning behaviour and will inform improved management strategies that better reflect fish and fleet spatial dynamics. Understanding local spatial dynamics and their consequences will contribute to a scientifically and locally informed herring management plan for our partner organization, and will advance our understanding of the factors that affect the productivity and resilience of herring populations on Canadas west coast.

Faculty Supervisor:

Anne Salomon

Student:

Mark Thompson

Partner:

Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

Simon Fraser University