Cod stocks may be in the cautious zone, but the likelihood they could drop back into the critical zone in the next few years is high.
That’s according to DFO research scientist Paul Regular who provided an update on cod stock assessments this morning.
via DFO
Regular says capelin, which is a key food source for cod, collapsed in 1991 and the stock has yet to recover, sitting at about 10 per cent of its pre-collapse abundance.
While cod stocks have been relatively stable over the last few years, the future of cod recovery is closely tied to capelin among other factors.
via DFO
“There’s a probability that the stock will be dipping into the critical zone, even under zero removals,” says Regular. “It ranges from about a 42 per cent chance that the stock will dip into the critical zone under a no fishing scenario…and it increases to 52 per cent if removals are doubled from current rates.”
A stock advisory meeting is scheduled for March 27.
