Research Document 1997/122
Capelin (Mallotus villosus) by-catches, landings and abundance in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence
By F. Grégoire, G. Poirier, G. Chouinard, and C. Lévesque
Abstract
Capelin landings in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence stood at 7,451 t in 1997, compared with 6,786 t for 1996. Most of this catch came from the west coast of Newfoundland. The fishing gears used for the majority of capelin catches are purse seine and trap on the west coast of Newfoundland, trap on the Lower North Shore of Quebec, and weir in the St Lawrence Estuary. Analysis of daily landings shows that for a few years the opening of the fishery has progressively been delayed in certain unit areas. At the same time, a reduction in the mean size of the capelin has been observed. A reduction was also observed in 1997 for the two abundance indices calculated from by-catches in the shrimp and groundfish assessment survey. One of these indices, the occurrence percentage, nonetheless shows an upward trend, which means an expansion of the geographic range of capelin in the northern Gulf. An expansion of capelin distribution is also observed in the southern Gulf, as indicated by data from the groundfish assessment survey that is carried out there each year.
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