I can try. I can't speak to specifics about the west coast situation. I assume it's mostly salmonid species that you're speaking to.
The crab is a big offshore stock that is probably, in many respects, easier to assess than rivers where salmonids may occur. We have, in crab in particular, several suites of surveys that are designed to monitor the stock.
We have what are called multi-species trawl surveys that are done in each NAFO division each year. Some regions get them twice a year. We have trap surveys done with industry, which cover our whole area as well. Along with that, we have, as I mentioned, a pretty in-depth suite of fishery-dependent data, observer coverage on commercial vessels as they go offshore, along with logbooks.
The consultation process is robust, in that it's inclusive and fairly open. Our stock assessments are attended by industry and academia, indigenous groups, etc., in a peer-reviewed fashion with a scientific panel. We seek consensus views on the status of the stock, and following that, consultations are fairly broad too, at least in my region. We go out to the communities and then spread the messages.
With respect to the salmonids, I would suspect it's harder to get such a robust monitoring program in place in a river-by-river type of system.