Assessment and Management of the Georges Bank Cod Fishery: An Historical Review and Evaluation

Fredric M. Serchuk and Susan E. Wigley

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Northeast Fisheries Science Center, national Marine Fisheries Service
Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 USA

Source - Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science, Volume 13: 25-52
ISSN-0250-6408

 

Serchuk, F.M. and Wigley, S.E. 1992. Assessment and Management of the Georges Bank Cod Fishery: An Historical Review and Evaluation. J. Northw. Atl. Fish. Sci. 13: 25-52. https://doi.org/10.2960/J.v13.a3

 

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Georges Bank region have been commercially exploited since the 17th century and continue as the mainstay of the New England commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries today. Throughout most of its history, the Georges Bank cod fishery was unregulated and growth in the fishery did not appear to exceed resource potential. An historical review of assessment activities and management programs reveals that the Georges Bank cod stock seemed resilient to heavy fishing pressure until the early- and mid-1980s when landings, fishing effort and fishing mortality approached or attained record-high levels. Management plans enacted independently by the USA and Canada under extended fisheries jurisdiction have not been very successful in preventing overfishing of Georges Bank cod. Different management objectives and a lack of compatible management strategies and approaches between the two countries have exacerbated the situation. Both the USA and Canada now recognize that cooperative and coordinated management actions are needed to avert overfishing and rebuild transboundary fishery resources, including Georges Bank cod.

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Language - English
Publisher - Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), Dartmouth, N.S., Canada
Publication Date - December 1992
Publication Type - Journal Article

Citation: Serchuk, F.M. and Wigley, S.E. 1992. Assessment and Management of the Georges Bank Cod Fishery: An Historical Review and Evaluation. J. Northw. Atl. Fish. Sci. 13: 25-52. https://doi.org/10.2960/J.v13.a3