UNIT 1 

 NORTHEAST DEMERSAL FISHERIES 



tion data on their catch. Despite the past manage- 

 ment record, some of the Northeast demersal 

 stocks (cod, yellowtaii flounder, haddock, Ameri- 

 can plaice, and summer flounder) are among the 

 best understood and assessed fisher\' resources in 

 the country. 



SPECIES AND STATUS 



Principal Groundfish and Flounders 



The principal groundfish and flounders group 

 includes important species in the cod family (At- 

 lantic cod, haddock, silver hake, red hake, and pol- 

 lock), flounders (yellowtaii, summer, winter, witch, 

 windowpane, and American plaice) and redfish 

 (Figure 1-1). Recent annual landings of these 12 

 species (representing 19 stocks) have averaged 

 77,700 t (70% U.S. commercial, 21% Canadian, 

 and 9% U.S. recreational), compared with a com- 

 bined long-term potential yield of 246,600 t (Table 

 1-1). Total ex-vessel revenue from the principal 

 U.S. groundfish and flounder commercial land- 

 ings in 1997 was $ 1 09 million compared to $ 1 2 1 

 million in U)^)4. The Northeast groundfish com- 

 plex supports important recreational fisheries for 

 species includmg simimer flounder, Atlantic cod, 

 winter flounder, and pollock. 



Fishing effort restrictions have been imple- 

 mented under Amendments 5 and 7 to the North- 

 east Multispecies Fishery Management Plan 

 through days-at-sea allocations based on either in- 

 dividual vessel or fleet-level performance criteria. 

 Under the individual vessel category, the total 

 number of permitted vessels and the allocated 

 number of days at sea declined continuously be- 

 tween 1995 and 1997. The total number of ves- 

 sels in the fleet-level category rose between 199^ 

 and 1996 when the fixed-gear sector was brought 

 under the fishery management plan following the 

 adoption of Amendment 7. Both vessel numbers 

 and their associated days at sea declined substan- 

 tially between 1996 and 1997 as restrictions on 

 the fixed-gear sector were implemented. 



The research vessel survey abundance index 

 for this group of species declined by almost 70%) 

 between 1963 and 1974 (Figure 1-1), reflecting 

 substantial increases in exploitation associated with 

 the advent of distant-water fleets. Many stocks in 



Landings 

 (. 1,000 t) 



Landings 



Year 



this group declined sharply, notably Cieorges Bank 

 haddock, most silver and red hake stocks, and most 

 flatfish stocks. By 1974, indices of abundance for 

 many of these species had dropped to the lowest 

 ever recorded. 



Groundfish partially recovered during the mid- 

 to-late 1 970's because of reduced fishing effort as- 

 sociated with increasingly restrictive management 

 under the International Commission for the 

 Northwest Atlantic Fisheries in the early 1970's, 

 and implementation of the Magnuson Fishery 

 Conservation and Management Act in 1977 

 (Mayo et al., 1 992). Cod and haddock abundance 

 increased markedly, stock biomass of pollock in- 

 creased more or less continually, and recruitment 

 and abundance also increased for several flatfish 

 stocks. The aggregate index peaked in 1978, but 

 subsequently declined, reaching new lows in 1987 

 and 1988. The 1989 and 1990 abundance values 

 were slightly higher than the previous two years, 

 primarily due to recruitment of moderate 1987 

 year classes of Atlantic cod, haddock, and yellow- 

 tail flounder. However, subsequent abundance in- 

 dices declined due in large part to the rapid deple- 

 tion of the 1 987 yellowtaii floimder year class, and 

 declining cod abundance. The overall index for 

 the principal groundfish and flounders reached a 

 .SO-year low in 1992 and during 1995-97 had in- 

 creased by about 35%. Landings of most of these 

 species declined substantially from 1994 through 



Abundance 

 survey index 

 (kg / tow) 



Survey index 



- 80 



- 60 



Figure 1-1 



Landings in metric tons (t) 

 and abundance index of 

 principal groundfish and 

 flounders, 1960-97 



9 1 



