Research Document - 1999/040

A description of the 1998 Atlantic cod fishery in NAFO Dvision 3Ps from port sampling and fishery observer records compared to 1997

By D.W. Kulka, T. Inkpen and F.K. Mowbray

Abstract

In 1998, the second year following re-opening, the quota for cod in NAFO Subdiv. 3Ps was increased from 10,000 t to 20,000 t. Nearshore, the fishery was prosecuted primarily in Placentia and Fortune Bay by gillnet, longline and trap. Offshore, the fishery took place at four locations; on the bank in shallow water south of Hermitage Channel (gillnet), two locations on the south central portion of St. Pierre Bank (gillnet and otter trawl) and the mouth of Halibut Channel in deep water (gillnet and otter trawl). The best gillnet catches, averaging 17.5 t per 100 nets were taken in Sept.-Oct. on south central St. Pierre Bank in shallow water. From Jul.-Sept., the otter trawl fishery progressed southward from St. Pierre Bank into the Halibut Channel. The best catch rates averaging 7.5 t per hour were attained by otter trawlers in the Halibut Channel in Oct.-Dec. Length and age composition samples were collected from the inshore trap, gillnet and linetrawl fisheries and the offshore otter trawl and gillnet fisheries. The spread and shape of length frequency distributions were similar between samples taken by observers and those taken port-side indicating little or no discarding. There were some differences in length composition of offshore catches of cod taken by France and that taken by Canada but mesh sizes varied between fleets and sample size was small. Overall, Placentia Bay fish were the largest of the inshore catch and 3Psh (Halibut Channel) catch the largest of the offshore. Bimodal length frequencies, modes at 65 and 85 cm were constant in catches taken on shallow portions of St. Pierre Bank (3Psd, f, and g). . The proportion of fish in the smaller mode increased from Jul. to Nov. Deep water Halibut Channel and nearshore sets showed a single mode at about 74 cm for both gillnet and otter trawl catches. Length composition of cod taken as bycatch in redfish and hake fisheries (January-April) included modes of smaller fish ranging in length from 30-60 cm not seen in the directed fishery where cod-end mesh size 105 mm was used.

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