The delineation of geographic areas for the purpose of collecting fisheries statistics (referred to as "fishing areas") in the Northwest Atlantic is described from the first division by the North American Council on Fishery Investigations in the early-1930s, through development of the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries statistical system in the early-1950s, to the present Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) system. The bases for these fishing areas are examined, and, in particular, knowledge of biological stock structure at crucial decision points is reconstructed, to determine the extent to which fishing areas were designed to correspond to stock distribution areas of the important commercial species. This correspondence is also examined in the light of present knowledge of stock structure. It transpires that only cod and haddock stock structure is documented as being influential in statistical boundary determination.
Language - English
Publisher - Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), Dartmouth, N.S., Canada
Publication Date - December 1990
Publication Type - Journal Article
Descriptors - Atlantic Ocean, NW, ICNAF, statistical areas
The Delimitation of Fishing Areas in the Northwest Atlantic