Research Document - 1999/185
Assessment and biology of Greenland Halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (4RST) in 1998
By B. Morin and B. Bernier
Abstract
The largest summer concentrations of Greenland halibut in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are found in the west and north of Anticosti Island and near the west coast of Newfoundland in the Esquiman Channel. Gillnets have been the most widely used fishing gear since the mid-1970s. Preliminary landings for 1998 totalled 3,989 t, while total allowable catch (TAC) was 4,000 t. The CPUEs of gillnet fishers in 1998 rose by 25% over 1996 and 1997. The abundance indices for Greenland halibut show an increase in biomass since 1990 and an increase in commercial size fish since 1994. However, the biomass index and the abundance of adults in the DFO research survey declined slightly in 1998. Finally, a new very abundant year-class (1997) was observed in 1998 on the research survey. On the basis of histological criteria, the size at which 50% of females reach maturity was estimated at 46 cm in 1998.
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