Natural mortality of cod (Gadus morhua) in the Southern Gulf of St Lawrence
Open Access
- 1 February 2001
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in ICES Journal of Marine Science
- Vol. 58 (1) , 1-10
- https://doi.org/10.1006/jmsc.1999.0490
Abstract
The closure of the cod fishery in Canada's southern Gulf of St Lawrence, and the existence of a reliable research vessel (RV) survey of the stock, has provided a unique opportunity to directly estimate the instantaneous rate of natural mortality (M) of a commercial cod stock. The results indicate that M is currently in the range of 0.4, which is higher than the value of 0.2 assumed in the past. An M of 0.4 is not inconsistent with the observed age range of cod in commercial catches and with recent growth characteristics of the stock. There is evidence that M may have increased in the early 1980s.Keywords
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