70 



of_ groundfi'sh stocks . Their feeling is that herring serve as an important 

 food source for cod and haddock; that herring depletions (presently 90% 

 of former levels) have, in turn, caused reductions in cod and haddock 

 abufidance. 



Their basis for such a belief is experience: in the late 1950s, during 

 the herring spawning season, fishermen would seek the spawning beds so as to 

 capture the cod and haddock that fed on those beds. At that time, they 

 estimate that herring spawn lay on the bottom to a depth of several feet, 

 which tended to clog nets although cod and haddock were found in abundance. 

 Soviet surveys in the mid-1960s discovered herring spawning beds several 

 miles square lying to a depth of one foot; in the late 1960s, following pulse 

 fishing efforts on the herring, that spawn was only 5-7 centimeters thick. 



Presently, no specific studies of such a relationship have been carried 

 out by the assessment community. 



2. The experience of fishermen indicates to them that changes in the course 

 of the Gulf Stream have important effects on th e abundance of certai n species . 

 Admittedly a difficult project to carry out, the attention of NMFS to this 

 issue has been cursory. 



3. Similarly, fishermen depend upon experience with regard to yields on 

 weather conditions . Certain types of weather appear to be beneficial to 

 certain fisheries and harmful to others. In addition, the phase of the moon 

 and tide conditions have been found to be critical factors. While fishermen 

 may have opinions regarding such effects in relation to stock abundance, 

 little work has been done in this area. 



4. Difference over time in size of year-class individuals . Members of the 

 domestic fishing industry feel that biomass reduction on Georges Bank may be 





