Cod Reproductive Potential in the Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence

Description

In order to determine appropriate recovery strategies for fish stocks, it is essential to develop indices that reflect the state of the population. The potential egg production of a stock is increasingly viewed as a good measure of its reproductive potential. This project will sample spawning Atlantic Cod in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence just before spawning in May of each year to evaluate the population’s total egg production based on a variety of characteristics including age, size, sex, maturity and condition. A retrospective analysis of the changes in total egg production since 1984 will also be carried out.

Researchers are also measuring and monitoring the effect of changes in reproductive characteristics—and different harvesting scenarios—on the potential rate of population increase. Specifically, the data are being used to calculate spawning stock biomass and to complement the sequential population analysis, which is used to determine stock productivity and the expected rate of population increase. The findings are used for assessing the cod stock in the northern Gulf, and have also proven to be useful for defining stock recovery plans.

Program Name

Fisheries Science Collaborative Program (FSCP)

Year(s)

2003 -

Ecoregion(s)

Atlantic: Gulf of St. Lawrence, St. Lawrence Estuary

Principal Investigator(s)

Claude Brassard
Fisheries and Oceans Canada