| Summary: | 1. This study was based on statistics of gill net caught halibut landed at Øksfjord, West Finnmark from 1955 to 1965. For the most recent years some data on relative effort and weight distribution of the catches were also available. 2. Small annual fluctuations in size distribution of the catches occurred, but no consistent trend over the years were apparent. 3. During the 10 year period studied, halibut landings in the last quarter of the year decreased markedly both in the county of Finnmark as a whole and at Øksfjord. However, during the same period catch per unit of effort in the gill net fishery increased greatly, and consequently, the estimated total effort was very much reduced. 4. It is concluded that the reduced landings resulted mainly from reduced fishing effort while the increase in catch per unit of effort was partly caused by improved fishing nets and less competition on the fishing grounds, but was also reflecting a real increase in fish density.
|
|---|