Update of Allocation Shares for Canada and the United States of the Transboundary Resources of Atlantic Cod, Haddock, and Yellowtail Flounder on Georges Bank through Fishing Year 2020

The development of consistent management by Canada and the United States of America (USA) for the transboundary resources of Atlantic Cod, Haddock, and Yellowtail Flounder on Georges Bank led to a sharing allocation agreement by the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC). For Atlantic Cod and Haddock, the agreement is limited to the eastern Georges Bank management unit (Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Statistical Unit Areas 5Zj and 5Zm; USA Statistical Areas 551, 552, 561, and 562). The management unit for Yellowtail Flounder encompasses the entire Georges Bank east of the Great South Channel (DFO Statistical Unit Areas 5Zh, 5Zj, 5Zm, and 5Zn; USA Statistical Areas 522, 525, 551, 552, 561, and 562). Two principles are incorporated in the sharing formulae: 1) historical utilization based on reported landings during 1967 through 1994; 2) spatial-temporal changes in resource distributions determined from the DFO and USA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) survey results that are updated annually. From 2010 onward, utilization will account for 10% and distribution for 90% of the allocation. This report uses the 2018 DFO and NMFS survey results to update the calculation for the 2020 fishing year allocations. 2019 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) NEFSC (Northeast Fisheries Science Center) Submitted Public Domain 1930