Research Document - 2001/044
An assessment of the cod stock in NAFO Divisions 2J+3KL.
By G.R. Lilly, P.A. Shelton, J. Brattey, N.G. Cadigan, B.P. Healey, E.F. Murphy, and D.E. Stansbury
Abstract
The status of the 2J+3KL cod stock is updated based on an additional year of research bottom-trawl surveys, sentinel surveys, a prerecruit survey, acoustic surveys in specific areas, returns from tagging studies, a questionnaire completed by fishing communities, and catches and catch rates from the index fishery. Considerable uncertainty exists about the structure of this stock and consequently in this assessment the stock status was assessed under two hypotheses: a) the cod currently inshore belong to an inshore subpopulation that is functionally separate from the offshore; and b) inshore and offshore fish together constitute a single functional population. Under the hypothesis of a separate inshore population, it is not clear whether the spawning stock has been sustained by recent levels of recruitment at the current levels of natural and fishing mortality. Catch rates from the sentinel survey, commercial logbooks and autumn research bottom-trawl surveys in the inshore show a decreasing trend in exploitable biomass since 1998. However, estimates of exploitable stock size based on tagging studies have been relatively constant. Under the single functional population hypothesis, there is no doubt that the 2J+3KL cod spawner biomass remains at an extremely low level compared to historical size, and there is no evidence of a recovery. Any fishery on the remnant in the inshore will delay recovery of the stock. Predation by harp seals is estimated to be 37,000 t and may be preventing the recovery of the cod stock.
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