Changes in Mean Weight, Sea-Age Composition, and Catch-per-Unit-Effort of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar ) Angled in the Godbout River, Quebec, 1859–1983

A weight-age classification, based on recent catches, was retroactively applied to angled Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) catches recorded in the log of the Godbout salmon club between 1859 and 1983. Over this period, numbers of salmon caught have fluctuated with a periodicity of 20–30 yr but catches...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Main Authors: Bielak, Alex T., Power, Geoffrey
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1986
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f86-036
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f86-036
Description
Summary:A weight-age classification, based on recent catches, was retroactively applied to angled Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) catches recorded in the log of the Godbout salmon club between 1859 and 1983. Over this period, numbers of salmon caught have fluctuated with a periodicity of 20–30 yr but catches have been maintained. There has been a big increase in fishing effort, and the proportion of two-sea-year to previously spawned fish has increased. The mean weight of these age groups has declined 0.005–0.009 kg∙yr −1 . These changes are attributed to the selective effects of commercial fisheries on the stock.