Capelin stocks, which have yet to recover from their catastrophic collapse in 1991, remain at just 10 per cent of their pre-collapse abundance.

The information was shared in DFO’s northern cod stock assessment on Tuesday.

DFO research scientist Paul Regular says while cod stocks remain relatively stable and are still in the cautious zone, the likelihood of falling back into the critical zone is high.

Regular says cod stocks are unlikely to build much higher from current levels due to the state of capelin, the primary food source for cod.

What caused the capelin to collapse and what is preventing the stock from rebounding is what he calls “the-million-dollar question.”

Regular says while there were a variety of causes behind the collapse, including fishing pressure and changing water temperatures, neither have been deemed conclusive.

As for what is preventing stocks from rebounding, Regular says a likely factor is the abundance of zooplankton, on which capelin feed.

“We need to see a bit more productivity on things like zooplankton, and that will support capelin growth, which will hopefully support cod growth as well,” he said.