title: Movements of a deep-water fish: establishing marine fisheries management boundaries in coastal Arctic waters.
abstract: Management boundaries that define populations or stocks of fish form the basis of fisheries planning. In the Arctic, decreasing sea ice extent is driving increasing fisheries development, highlighting the need for ecological data to inform management. In Cumberland Sound, southwest Baffin Island, an indigenous community fishery was established in 1987 targeting Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) through the ice. Following its development, the Cumberland Sound Management Boundary (CSMB) was designated and a total allowable catch (TAC) assigned to the fishery. The CSMB was based on a sink population of Greenland halibut resident in the northern section of the Sound. Recent fishing activities south of the CSMB, however, raised concerns over fish residency, the effectiveness of the CSMB and the sustainability of the community-based winter fishery. Through acoustic telemetry monitoring at depths between 400 and 1200 m, and environmental and fisheries data, this study examined the movement patterns of Greenland halibut relative to the CSMB, the biotic and abiotic factors driving fish movement and the dynamics of the winter fishery. Greenland halibut undertook clear seasonal movements between the southern and northern regions of the Sound driven by temperature, dissolved oxygen, and sea ice cover with most fish crossing the CSMB on an annual basis. Over the lifespan of the fishery, landfast ice cover initially declined and then became variable, limiting accessibility to favored fisher locations. Concomitantly, catch per unit effort declined, reflecting the effect of changing ice conditions on the location and effort of the fishery. Ultimately, these telemetry data revealed that fishers now target less productive sites outside of their favored areas and, with continued decreases in ice, the winter fishery might cease to exist. In addition, these novel telemetry data revealed that the CSMB is ineffective and led to its relocation to the entrance of the Sound in 2014. The community fishery can now develop an open-water fishery in addition to the winter fishery to exploit the TAC, which will ensure the longevity of the fishery under projected climate-change scenarios. Telemetry shows great promise as a tool for understanding deep-water species and for directly informing fisheries management of these ecosystems that are inherently complex to study.
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
authors.forename: Nigel E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Hussey
authors.affiliation: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N6, Canada.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hedges
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
authors.forename: Amanda N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Barkley
authors.affiliation: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N6, Canada.
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Treble
authors.affiliation: Za Zahradami 1407, 253 01, Hostivice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Peklova
authors.affiliation: Amirix Systems, 20 Angus Morton Drive, Bedford, Nova Scotia, B4B 0L9, Canada.
authors.forename: Dale M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Webber
authors.affiliation: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N6, Canada.
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Yurkowski
authors.affiliation: Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
authors.forename: Steven T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kessel
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Ocean Science, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8P 5C2, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeannette M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bedard
authors.affiliation: Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada.
authors.forename: Aaron T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Fisk
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001110:Arctic Regions; D002170:Canada; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D005398:Fisheries; D005432:Flounder; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology
keywords: 
  Reinhardtius hippoglossoides
  ; Canadian Arctic; acoustic telemetry; catch per unit effort; declining ice cover; fisher location; fisheries planning