Capelin status improves, but stock still faces challenges
Population of capelin, most of which die after spawning, is now dominated by relatively young fish
CORNER BROOK — It doesn’t mean there are more capelin in the ocean, but the tiny forage fish that plays a crucial role in the food chain has been lifted out of the critical zone.
The announcement of the stock’s status in 2J3KL — the management area extending from Labrador southward to St. Mary’s Bay — was made by Hannah Murphy, a research scientist with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), during a technical briefing for members of the media on Wednesday, March 13.
The limit reference point, which represents the stock status below which serious harm is occurring to the stock, for 2J3KL capelin has been revised from 640 kilotonnes to 155 kilotonnes.
Murphy said the capelin stock has primarily been above this revised limit reference point since 2007. It is projected to remain above the updated reference point in 2024, with a 10-17 per cent probability of being in the critical zone.
Murphy said the drastic change is related to the updated limit reference point for northern cod, which was revised in the fall of 2023 after a new modelling approach had been applied to interpret historical data.
Northern cod’s status is dependent on capelin status, she explained, and lifting cod out of the critical zone and into the cautious zone led to revising capelin’s status.
“It’s a large change,” said Murphy.
“It doesn’t mean there is more capelin, but it’s our perception of how many capelin are needed for cod that has changed.”
The annual spring stock assessment for northern cod is due next week and will determine if that species will remain in the cautious zone.
CAPELIN MATURING SOONER
Capelin still face many challenges, cautioned Murphy. The stock remains well below its productive status before it collapsed in the 1980s.
As she outlined, fewer fish means less competition for food. This has led to capelin tending to maturing sooner and a population dominated by relatively young fish.
Capelin mature at a specific length and not a certain age. Nearly all capelin die after they spawn.
Murphy said studies of the stock, which once saw capelin as old as six years, are now seeing far fewer fish beyond two or three years of age.
Younger capelin tend to spawn later in the summer, and produce fewer eggs and less robust larva. Newly hatched fish are also poor swimmers, less capable of surviving the winter months.
“Capelin plays a crucial role in our ocean ecosystem,” said Murphy. “It is an essential food source for many larger species, including cod. Given its importance to the marine ecosystem, we will continue to monitor the factors impacting this stock.”
THE FISHERY
In 2023, there was a total allowable catch of 14,533 tonnes for capelin, 78 per cent of which was landed by harvesters.
Murphy said the total allowable catch doesn’t always reflect the availability of fish in the ecosystem. She said market forces play a significant role in determining how much should be caught, including how much product is available on the market from fisheries in other jurisdictions before the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery opens.
While healthy and cautious zones for capelin have not yet been defined, the stock assessment update was welcome news to Ffaw-unifor, the union that represents the province’s fish harvesters and fish plant workers.
“The small capelin fishery is important for our coastal communities both in terms of the additional income it provides for fish harvesters who can diversify their business model and also for plant workers who need those additional days of work during the fishing season,” Greg Pretty, Ffawunifor’s president, said in a new release.
Ivan Batten, a fish harvester from Port de Grave who participated in the assessment process as a harvester representative, agreed.
“Even a small capelin quota has a big impact for our enterprise, so we’re certainly pleased to see this news come from DFO Science today,” he stated in the same union news release.
The capelin fishery, the FFAW’S prepared statement noted, has the potential for landed values of $20 million or more per year. However, the fishery has not been prosecuted to its full extent in recent years due to processors not buying while the season is open.
The FFAW said it has been in communication with the provincial government to ensure that capacity will be available for harvesters this season when needed for the time-sensitive fishery.
“Our members will be satisfied to see the changes made here today by DFO Science and we’re hopeful for a profitable capelin fishery this year for our province,” said Pretty.