New cod stock study supported by Provincial Government

The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is providing $50,000 in funding toward a cod stock identification project which will be led by Dr. George Rose of the Marine Institute's Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research (CFER)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The funding will be provided through the Cod Recovery Strategy.

“This cod stock identification project will provide valuable knowledge on the stock structure and history of cod in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “My department is very supportive of fisheries science research and we look forward to the successful completion of the work. Our government was pleased to invest $11.75 million in fisheries science research last year and this continues to be a priority.”

The project will involve a multi-phase study of the chemical composition of ear bones of cod (otoliths), which provide indicators of the spawning origin and migration history of individual fish in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador. This work will enhance the research that was carried out by CFER on the Celtic Explorer while it was chartered by the Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University for work off Newfoundland and Labrador.

The study will be carried out in several phases. The first phase will use an existing otolith collection to test the effects of fish size, growth, age and year of birth on chemical composition of otoliths, in various sites from Labrador to the south coast of the island. The second phase will involve the testing of specific stock structure variables, such as migration, on local cod groups in areas such as Smith Sound in Trinity Bay. The third phase will involve the study of samples collected during the winter trips of the Celtic Explorer and by commercial fishing vessels on the Flemish Cap.

“The stock structures of cod in our waters may be more fluid than previously thought, especially with the effects of climate change,” said Dr. Rose. “Because stock structure forms the very basis of management, it is essential that we get a better handle on these issues. Otolith microchemistry is thought to be the most promising way to do this. In combination with genetics, it may give us the most accurate picture of where cod comes from and where they go over a lifetime.”

As part of this project, there will be collaboration with scientists at Dalhousie University who are interested in stock structure and otolith structure. As well, industry collaboration will take place with the Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council, which will provide in-kind support with fish samples from the Flemish Cap.

“This project will be providing valuable knowledge on the stock structure of cod in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Minister Jackman. “This is important for the management of our cod fishery as we move forward in rebuilding stocks and creating a fishery that is part of a sustainable industry in this province.”