Groundfish Longline Survey Data for Southern British Columbia Coast

Fishery-independent catch, effort, location, and biological data from multi-species longline surveys targeting nearshore rockfish and groundfish on hard-bottom habitats. The Outside South Hard Bottom Longline survey has been conducted biennially since 2007, covering the southern British Columbia coastline excluding inlets and protected waters. Data is collected via a random depth-stratified design using 2 km by 2 km sampling blocks and size 14/0 circle hooks baited with squid.

Use Cases

• Analyze catch counts by species in relation to fishing location (latitude, longitude) and depth to map species distribution.
• Model fish abundance indices over time using catch data, effort metrics (soak time, hook count), and the biennial survey year.
• Investigate biological relationships by correlating sampled biological data (length, sex, weight, age) with capture location and depth for specific species.
• Assess fishing effort patterns by examining set-level information including date, time, soak time, and hook spacing across survey years.

Strengths

• Long-term survey series with data collection starting in 2007 and repeated every second year, providing a multi-year time series.
• Designed as a fishery-independent survey using a random depth-stratified methodology across 2 km by 2 km blocks, supporting population assessment.
• Collaborative collection by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Pacific Halibut Management Association using chartered commercial fishing vessels.

Limitations

• Survey coverage is limited to specific hard-bottom habitats on the southern BC coast, excluding inlets and protected waters east of Vancouver Island.
• Biological data (length, sex, weight, age) is only available for a subset of catches that were sampled, not the entire catch.
• The biennial survey frequency and the missed 2013 survey create gaps in the annual time series for trend analysis.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Standardized longline surveys following a random depth-stratified design, conducted from chartered commercial fishing vessels.

Time Range

2007 to present, conducted biennially (except 2013).

Freshness

Data is updated with new survey cycles; the metadata record was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Southern British Columbia coastline, including mainland coast south of Milbanke Sound, Queen Charlotte Sound, and north/west coasts of Vancouver Island.