A review of the biology and fishery of the Embiotocids of British Columbia : Examen de la biologie et de la pêche des Embiotocidés de la Colombie-Britannique

In the Pacific Region of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the policy for possible new and/or developing fisheries provides for a precautionary approach to ensure the sustainable development of new fisheries (DFO 2001). [...] Of the eight species of surfperch that are found on the Pacific coast of Canada, there is an existing or potential fishery for five species and the possibility that three others may be of interest to COSEWIC (see below). [...] Phase 1: The collection of data necessary to fill the information gaps identified in the Phase 0 report and to examine the possibility of a sustainable fishery. [...] If the parasite load in shiner perch is indicative of the load in many embiotocid species, the importance of parasites to surfperch populations is likely to be considerable. [...] Sperm transfer to the female occurs during the summer in shiner perch and striped seaperch and is stored in the female until fertilization in winter.