Research Document - 2003/065

The status of cod in the Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence (3Pn, 4RS) in 2002

By Fréchet, A., Gauthier, J., Schwab, P., Bourdages, H., Chabot, D., Collier, F., Grégoire, F., Lambert, Y., Moreault, G., Pageau, L. and Spingle, J.

Abstract

The commercial landings for this stock have reached a maximum of 106,000 tons while the stock had reached its maximum mature biomass of 462,000 tons in 1983. Afterwards, the stock was reduced to a minimum mature biomass of 21,000 tons in 1994. The stock was under moratorium from 1994 to 1996 which allowed for a modest improvement of the mature biomass which was at 58,000 tons at the reopening of the commercial fishery in 1997. Since 1997, the commercial fishery has been conducted by fixed gears only (longlines, gill nets and hand lines). Despite the low fishing effort, the mature biomass remains stable at the same low level as when the fishery was reopened in 1997.

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Part 1: Text (28 pages; 260 K)

Part 2: Tables (22 pages; 254 K)

Part 3: Figures (43 pages; 2 998 K)