Stock collapse or stock recovery? Contrasting perceptions of a depleted cod stock

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Cook, Robin (2019) Stock collapse or stock recovery? Contrasting perceptions of a depleted cod stock. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 76 (4). 787–793. ISSN 1054-3139 (https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy190)

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Abstract

ICES assessments of cod (Gadus morhua) in the west of Scotland (ICES Division 6a) suggest the biomass has collapsed and that fishing mortality rate (F) has remained high. In contrast, other stocks in the same fishery, and adjacent cod stocks all show marked declines in fishing mortality and some recovery of the biomass. The perception of the status of 6a cod appears to be dependent on the assumption that the fishery exploitation pattern is flat topped. An assessment that allows the exploitation to take a domed shape produces results that suggest a marked decline in fishing mortality rate and that the spawning stock biomass has recovered to the minimum biomass reference point, B lim. The reduction in F is consistent with substantial reductions in fishing effort and shows a similar pattern to stocks taken within the same fishery. The management implications arising from the two assessments differ substantially. The analysis indicates that benchmark assessments need to test assessment model conditioning assumptions more widely and that management advice needs to consider a more comprehensive range of information about the stock and fishery.

ORCID iDs

Cook, Robin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9604-0204;
  • Item type:Article
    ID code:66396
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    1 July 2019
    Published
    23 January 2019
    Published Online
    21 November 2018
    Accepted
    Notes:This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in ICES Journal of Marine Science following peer review. The version of record Cook, R 2018, 'Stock collapse or stock recovery? Contrasting perceptions of a depleted cod stock' ICES Journal of Marine Science, is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy190.
    Subjects:Agriculture > Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
    Department:Faculty of Science > Mathematics and Statistics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:18 Dec 2018 09:52
    Last modified:14 Dec 2024 01:23
    Related URLs:
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/66396
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