Research Document 1997/85
Description de la pêche au maquereau bleu (Scomber scombrus L.) pour la saison 1996
By F. Grégoire
Abstract
Mackerel landings for the entire northwest Atlantic totalled 32,752 t in 1996, an increase of just over 5,000 t from 1995. This increase can be explained by the higher catches made by commercial fishers in the United States. Canadian landings were 17,710 t in 1996, compared with 17,706 t in 1995, and remained below the mean annual catch level of 20,000 t recorded for the period 1965 to 1995. The three NAFO divisions with the largest landings were 4T, 4R and 4X, with 10,004 t, 3,175 t and 1,899 t respectively. Landings are reviewed by gear type, statistical district and fishing community for the period 1985 to 1996. A similar analysis is presented for the catches in the Sydney area on the east coast of Cape Breton, where dredging operations were carried out in 1996. In 1996, the catch at age for the Canadian fishery was dominated by the 1994 and 1993 year-classes, which made up nearly 40% of all catches. The U.S. abundance index still showed an upward trend in 1996. The mean catch per tow and mean weight per tow in 1996 represented the second highest values in the entire time series. Mackerel catch data from the different sources are compared, that is, from logbook and purchase slips, dockside monitoring operations and the Index Fishermen Program.
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