Atlantic Fisheries Research Document 1996/112
The status of redfish in Unit 1 (Gulf of St. Lawrence)
By B. Morin
Abstract
The fishery in management Unit 1 [Division 4RST + 3Pn and 4Vn (Jan. to May)] was closed in 1995 and remained closed in 1996. commercial catches before the closing were dominated by fish born around 1998 and at the beginning of the 1970s and were mainly of the species Sebaste mentella. The abundance of the 1988 year-class has decreased rapidly since 1991 and those fish were identified as being Sebaste fasciatus. Research surveys indicated that the redfish stock abundance has declined slightly in 1996 in comparison to 1995. The high rate of exploitation and the lack of recruitment have resulted in the current low stock size. With the closure of this fishery in 1995, the rate of decline of the abundance of the stock should be much slower. At this time, there is no sign of any significant incoming recruitment.
Accessibility Notice
This document is available in PDF format. If the document is not accessible to you, please contact the Secretariat to obtain another appropriate format, such as regular print, large print, Braille or audio version.
- Date modified: