Page 6: of Marine Technology Magazine (July 2005)

www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 7

Cod Fishery Declines 96% on Scotian Shelf

Once a dominant species, the volume of cod on the Scotian Shelf plunged 96% since the 1850s, according to landmark research published recently by the Census of Marine Life (part of the Consortium for

Oceanographic Research & Education).

Writing in Frontier's in Ecology, researchers announced the first-ever esti- mate of cod levels in the 1850s, created using old schooner catch records and observations, coupled with modern mod- eling tools.

Researchers said their findings have pro- found implications for contemporary poli- cy makers trying to rebuild fishery "rem- nants" and restore the marine ecosystem.

In recent debates in New England over management of George's Bank and Gulf of

Maine cod stocks, for example, many argued that 1980s stock levels should be considered fully rebuilt.

However, "this contradicted the evidence of basic cod biology, which suggested that cod stocks would only be rebuilt at higher levels," the researchers said.

Using a mathematical formula, the researchers estimate cod biomass on the

Scotian Shelf was 1.26 million metric tons in 1852, compared with less than 50,000 metric tons today.

The adults within represent 3,000 metric tons or 6%.

The study also noted the estimate of 1850 cod biomass is "quite conservative" as the old fishing logs only record adult cod.

Learn more at www.coml.org/medres/medres77.htm. news

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