Predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence
Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) was the dominant demersal fish and most important predator in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem as recently as the 1980s. However, productivity of southern Gulf cod has declined, and the population is no longer viable even in the absence of fishing. We conduct...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
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Canadian Science Publishing
2008
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f08-175 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/F08-175 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/F08-175 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/f08-175 2024-09-15T17:55:24+00:00 Predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Swain, Douglas P. Chouinard, Ghislain A. 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f08-175 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/F08-175 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/F08-175 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences volume 65, issue 11, page 2315-2319 ISSN 0706-652X 1205-7533 journal-article 2008 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/f08-175 2024-08-29T04:08:49Z Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) was the dominant demersal fish and most important predator in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem as recently as the 1980s. However, productivity of southern Gulf cod has declined, and the population is no longer viable even in the absence of fishing. We conducted population projections taking into account uncertainty in current abundance-at-age and uncertainty or variability in each of the components of population productivity (i.e., rates of recruitment, individual growth, and adult natural mortality). We defined extirpation as a spawning stock biomass less than 1000 t (<0.3% of historical levels). Based on these projections, at its current level of productivity, this population is certain to be extirpated within 40 years in the absence of fishing and in 20 years with fishery removals at the level of the total allowable catch in 2007 and 2008 (2000 t). Elevated natural mortality of adult cod (M) is the main factor contributing to the low productivity of this stock. Because M appears to be increasing, our projections are likely overly optimistic. Article in Journal/Newspaper atlantic cod Gadus morhua Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 65 11 2315 2319 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) was the dominant demersal fish and most important predator in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem as recently as the 1980s. However, productivity of southern Gulf cod has declined, and the population is no longer viable even in the absence of fishing. We conducted population projections taking into account uncertainty in current abundance-at-age and uncertainty or variability in each of the components of population productivity (i.e., rates of recruitment, individual growth, and adult natural mortality). We defined extirpation as a spawning stock biomass less than 1000 t (<0.3% of historical levels). Based on these projections, at its current level of productivity, this population is certain to be extirpated within 40 years in the absence of fishing and in 20 years with fishery removals at the level of the total allowable catch in 2007 and 2008 (2000 t). Elevated natural mortality of adult cod (M) is the main factor contributing to the low productivity of this stock. Because M appears to be increasing, our projections are likely overly optimistic. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Swain, Douglas P. Chouinard, Ghislain A. |
spellingShingle |
Swain, Douglas P. Chouinard, Ghislain A. Predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence |
author_facet |
Swain, Douglas P. Chouinard, Ghislain A. |
author_sort |
Swain, Douglas P. |
title |
Predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence |
title_short |
Predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence |
title_full |
Predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence |
title_fullStr |
Predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence |
title_full_unstemmed |
Predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence |
title_sort |
predicted extirpation of the dominant demersal fish in a large marine ecosystem: atlantic cod (gadus morhua) in the southern gulf of st. lawrence |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f08-175 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/F08-175 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/F08-175 |
genre |
atlantic cod Gadus morhua |
genre_facet |
atlantic cod Gadus morhua |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences volume 65, issue 11, page 2315-2319 ISSN 0706-652X 1205-7533 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/f08-175 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
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65 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
2315 |
op_container_end_page |
2319 |
_version_ |
1810431691190173696 |