Forecasting Fishery Performance for Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) on the Labrador Shelf (NAFO Divisions 2HJ)

The physical environment of the ocean is believed to have a major influence on pandalid shrimp populations and there are numerous studies that incorporate environmental variables to predict and forecast landings from the fishery and/or resource abundance. Cause-and-effect mechanisms are not clearly understood in many instances but the predictive nature of the relationships provides a potentially powerful forecasting tool. Meaningful indicators of the prospects for shrimp stocks that support valuable commercial fisheries are necessary in a comprehensive stock assessment process.