Gl'NDERSON: POPULATION BIOLOGY OK SKBASTKS AU'Tl'S 



QUEEN 

 CHARLOTTE 

 SOUND 



S. E. Corner - S.E. Edge 



PACIFIC 

 OCEAN 



Triangle Island 



• " N / 



128° 



^o> 



A- 



■50 fathoms (9i m) 

 100 fathoms 083 m) 

 Fishing grounds 



D 



G> 



129° 



FIGURE 8. — Major Pacific ocean perch fishing grounds in Queen Charlotte Sound, B.C. 



November-May period when most of the fish are in 

 deepwater spawning areas, and a June-October 

 period when they are in shallow water. Mean 

 depth of catch is 140-180 fm (256-329 m) during 

 the November-May period, and 120-130 fm (219- 

 238 m) during June-October. 



Seasonal variability in the biological composi- 

 tion of the catch is less significant than in Queen 

 Charlotte Sound, since the sex ratio is close to 50% 

 males all year. Data on the size composition of the 

 catch was quite limited during certain months, 

 but size composition generally seemed to depend 



on the depths at which the fishery was operating. 

 The proportion of small fish (35 cm or smaller) in 

 the landings was highest during the shallow- 

 water fishery, and decreased during November- 

 May (Figure 10). 



Considering the wide differences in the mag- 

 nitude of the landings between Washington- 

 Vancouver Island and Queen Charlotte Sound, 

 CPUE levels are surprisingly similar (Figure 5). 

 Results of research cruises have shown that the 

 availability of Pacific ocean perch varies widely in 

 the Washington- Vancouver Island region (Gun- 



375 



