Cod stocks off Newfoundland and Labrador’s east coasts are improving according to the latest research by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) But they are still a long way from being able to support a commercial fishery.
“The stock is still not up to the level that it was, say, back in the 1980s when we had a substantial fishery,” John Brattey, a cod research scientist with DFO, said yesterday, in an interview with CBC Radio’s The Broadcast. “But the basic message is the news is good, and the stock is going up quite well.” he said.
Every three years the DFO undertakes stock assessments, compiling data from commercial catches, tags on the cod and vessel surveys.
In 2013, the stock was assessed at approximately 300,000 tonnes. Now it is almost twice that. “It’s improved quite a bit since the full assessment was conducted three years ago,” Brattey said
The good news is due to increased birth rates among cod, and fish are also living longer in the Northern Atlantic. Warmer water, which enhances growth, helps, as well as healthier capelin stocks, a major source of food for cod, They’ve been switching from shrimp to capelin.
“As they switch towards capelin, the growth of the fish and their condition seems to improve. They seem to do much better, because capelin is simply a much better prey for them,” Brattey said.
“We feel as if we’re in a more optimistic phase for northern cod at the moment.”
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.