Research Document - 2006/009

Results from the August 2005 Sentinel mobile survey of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence

By Poirier, G.A., and L. Currie

Abstract

In 2003 the mobile gear component of the industry-based Sentinel survey in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Area 4T) was conducted, for the first time, as a stratified random survey. Four otter trawl vessels participated in the survey during August. In 2004 and 2005, the survey was conducted with three of the original trawlers and one replacement vessel from the Gaspé. In 2005, 245 valid tows were completed. Differences were found in the efficiency of the vessels for catching cod, American plaice, and winter flounder. Vessel and stratum effects remain confounded in tests for white hake and witch flounder catchabilities. Differences were found in some comparisons of catchability by size of fish, but testing these differences was limited by the number of sets fished in the restricted geographical distribution of some species. Precision of vessel comparisons should increase with the integration of these results with results of future surveys.

This report summarises the results of the 2005 Sentinel mobile gear stratified random survey.

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