Research Document 1997/145
Hecate Strait Pacific cod stock assessments for 1997 and recommended yield options for 1998
By V. Haist and D. Fournier
Abstract
This document presents stock reconstructions and stock projections, based on catch-at-length analysis, for the Hecate Strait Pacific cod stock. The analytical model (MULTIFAN CL) is modified from that used for previous assessments to account for changes in the mesh size regulation for the Hecate Strait trawl fishery. No analyses are conducted for Pacific cod on the west coast of Vancouver Island because of a lack of biological samples from this stock in recent years.
Assessment results indicate that there is conflicting information in the 1997 CPUE and length-frequency data regarding recent recruitment levels for the Hecate Strait stock. The CPUE data indicate a significant increase in stock abundance in 1997, but there are no signs of recent recruitment in the length frequency data. The base case stock reconstruction suggests that the Hecate Strait Pacific cod stock is now at a historic low level. An alternate analysis, with lower weighting on the 1997 length frequency data, is less pessimistic and suggests that stock abundance is increasing. There is no objective basis on which to decide if either the CPUE or the length frequency data is biased.
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