FFAW responds to Stock Assessment Update for Capelin

DFO provided a briefing to update the 2J3KL Capelin stock. The FFAW says the results of the science assessment are failing to reflect what harvesters are seeing on the water or in the results from the 2024 fishery.

According to the update, the larval index is at the 10-year average, the percentage of age-2 maturing females is a positive signal and close to levels seen in the 1990s, environmental and sea ice conditions are predicted to be favourable, the acoustic biomass index increased 94 percent from 2023 to 2024, yet the stock status forecast model is showing a decrease for 2025 to lows seen only twice since 2010.