Atlantic Fisheries Research Document 1996/125
Distribution and acoustic backscatter of herring in NAFO div. 4T and 4Vn, September 23 - October 8, 1995
By C. LeBlanc
Abstract
The 1995 acoustic survey covered Chaleur Bay and the adjacent areas of Miscou and Tracadie, as well as the Cape Breton area (4Vn) and the new added strata of north-eastern PEI (Milne) and George's Bay. The main herring concentrations, representing 70% of the total survey backscatter recorded, were detected in the Northwest Miscou, Maisonnette, and Nepisiguit strata of Chaleur Bay. The 1995 total biomass index of 89,244 tons was the lowest since 1991. The 1995 Chaleur-Miscou inshore area had a lower proportion of transect length with backscatter detected than the 1994 survey. Fall spawners represented 68% of the total backscatter detected in 1995, the dominant year-class being 1990, thus 5 year-olds. This 1990 year class represented close to 38% of fall spawner numbers in 1995. For the spring spawners, the strongest year-class was 1993, being 2 year-olds, which accounted for 40% of the 1995 spring spawner numbers.
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