HADDOCK FROM GEORGES AND BROWNS BANKS 



179 



COLLECTION OF DATA 



Cruise 23 (June 23 to June 29, 1949) of the 

 Albatross III was made primarily to tag haddock 

 on Georges and Browns Banks. However, h-ngth 

 measurements and scale samples were obtained con- 

 currently from a substantial number of fish on each 

 of the two banks, and these data form the basis 

 for this report. 



The mesh in the otter trawl used was small 

 enough, 2-inch stretched measure, to obtain a 

 representative sample of all sizes and ages of 

 bottom-dwelling haddock (other than young of 

 the year) in a given area. The samples were 

 obtained from two locations on Browns Bank 

 and from five locations on Georges Bank (fig. 1). 

 These locations were not selected at random, 

 but all fish caught on the two banks were taken 

 in nets of the same size, fished in the same manner. 



SIZE COMPOSITION 



During this cruise, 10,163 haddock were caught 

 in 61 tows, 9,321 in 45 tows on Georges Bank 

 and 842 in 16 tows on Browns Bank. The 

 size compositions ' of these catches are shown 

 in table 1. The percentage size compositions 

 of the catches from the two banks also are shown 

 in table 1 and are plotted in figure 2. From 

 these data it can be seen that there is a marked 

 difference in the size compositions of the catches 

 from the two banks. 



< By fork Icnpth, from lip of snout to fork of tail. All lenKths were re- 

 conlpil by continicti'rs, that is, lefiRllis from 20.0 contimeters to and including 

 20.9 centimeters were recorcieci as 2t).0 centimeters, lengths from 21.0 centi- 

 meters to and including 21.9 centimeters were recorded as 21.0 centimeters, 

 and so on. Data are arranged in .1-ctMitimeier groups, that ii». *JD-. 2I-. and 

 22-centimeter fish arc groupi'd as 21 -centimeter fish; 23-, 24-. and 2S-ccntimctcr 

 fish are grouped as 2-1-centimeler fish, and so on. 



BROWNS BANK 



20 



25 



45 



Figure 2.- 



30 35 40 



LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS 



-Percentage size compositions of haddock catches from Georges and Urowiis Batiks. 



50 



55 



