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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 35 Number 1
September 2007
Survey reports impressive cod, haddock, skate findings
WOODS HOLE, MA – Scientists aboard the Albatross IV’s spring bottom trawl survey had to contend with some snotty weather, but between subzero temperatures and gale-force winds, they hauled up some remarkable finds.
The survey cruise was conducted March 7-April 28 during four different legs from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Maine.
Late in July, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center released its Resource Survey Report summarizing the cruise’s sampling station locations and landings, and in a section called “field notes,” each chief scientist described a few noteworthy moments.
Linda Despres, chief scientist on the second leg, highlighted a history-making day around Oceanographer Canyon where the crew hauled up 1,500 pounds of winter skates, which were in spawning aggregation, and 3,200 pounds of barndoor skates.
“The catch of barndoor skates in this one tow exceeded the total catch in all spring tows conducted from 1968 through 2005,” Despres wrote. “These skates ranged in size from 8"-52" from nose-tip to tail-end; 137 of them were longer than 39". It was amazing to see so many of them concentrated in one area (depth was 182 fathoms) and to see such a wide size range.”
Survey Leg #2 also turned out to be memorable because of the haddock catch.
According to Despres, 1,650 pounds of haddock – a total of 1,198 individual fish ranging from 11" to 20" in size with 16" being the most common – were sampled just outside the southern half of Closed Area II on Georges Bank.
“Fish as small as 12" were in spawning condition,” Despres wrote. “This tow was larger than any single haddock tow we had last spring and was likely dominated by fish from the 2003 year class.”
She added, “Haddock from this year class are growing stubbornly slow, frustrating both industry members and fishery managers.”
Flounder, cod
Leg #2 was notable on one more count. The survey crew hauled up an unusually large number of fourspot flounder just south of Closed Area II – 1,529 individuals totaling 734 pounds.
According to Despres, it was the largest catch of fourspot flounder she had ever seen on a survey cruise. Neither commercial nor recreational fishermen target the fish, and when fishermen do come across them, the fourspot flounders are usually landed as “other miscellaneous unclassified flatfish.”
Leg #3 was particularly hampered by bad weather and, at one point, the Albatross IV simply anchored in Machias Bay in Maine to wait it out. Even in the bay, wind sensors on the bridge unofficially recorded one gust at 97 knots.
Leg #4 produced some fruitful tows on the cod end. Chief Scientist Kevin McIntosh reported that he was “impressed with two decent sized Atlantic cod tows” in the Gulf of Maine.
The first, just to the southwest of the Western Gulf of Maine Closed Area, consisted of 800 individuals ranging from 10" to 29" for a total of 1,835 pounds, and the second, southwest of Cape Ann, consisted of 101 individuals from 7" to 37" with a total weight of 319 pounds.
“The presence of juvenile cod in the Gulf of Maine is encouraging,” McIntosh wrote.
To download a copy of the full report, go to <www.nefsc.noaa.gov/esb> and select “Resource Survey Reports.”
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