are cod returning?

[Guest challenge]

i read somewhere that a huge influx of immature fish after a lean spell usually happens just before a complete collapse of the stock.

That sounds bad dale?

If that indeed is the case then I think up here those of us interested in catching cod today and in years to come may as well call it a day now.

I believe what you read dale, I just hope that the author was the same one who said the same once upon a time about lobsters.

I believe that (considering the amount of pots in the sea now days) the shell fishery in this part of the world has been a fantastic managerial success.

Not so many years ago it was doomed by many different sauces. Only great management and participation by all involved has proven many people wrong.

Let’s hope that one day we can say the same about the cod fishery.

[glennk]

Would you like to share your source with me dale ?

 

Cefas year class studies show a pattern of lots of immature codling after periods of few going back over a couple of decades. What is concerning is that the size of the good year classes get less (ie the amount of small codlings now is fewer than the last good year class of 96) and the frequency of their spawning gets less. Wurzel would point out the correlation with cold winters and good spawnings. I would agree. Commercial effort takes its toll fast but many now think the shrinking of the fleet, quota cuts and decreased days at sea could be the saving factor for this year class. Im optimistic but not overly so. We have less Trawlers here now but if the offerings are good the Scottish white fish fleet will be here inside of a month.

[Guest challenge]

Would you like to share your source with me dale ?

 

Cefas year class studies show a pattern of lots of immature codling after periods of few going back over a couple of decades. What is concerning is that the size of the good year classes get less (ie the amount of small codlings now is fewer than the last good year class of 96) and the frequency of their spawning gets less. Wurzel would point out the correlation with cold winters and good spawnings. I would agree. Commercial effort takes its toll fast but many now think the shrinking of the fleet, quota cuts and decreased days at sea could be the saving factor for this year class. Im optimistic but not overly so. We have less Trawlers here now but if the offerings are good the Scottish white fish fleet will be here inside of a month.

I don’t believe that the fishery is that good as to attract a sizeable Scottish fleet to come down here and fish the fishery.

But the way that the deep water fleet (Scottish) working north Atlantic are being treated at the moment (by defra) they will be forced to fish the north sea again and I would not be surprised if the prawn fishery was to collapse then white fish in this part of the world could be an option.

Mind you there are only 6 boats (recognized) left working the west coast and north Atlantic grounds.

[glennk]

I hope not but Theyve done it before John. Not saying they stay a long time but if they could have 6 weeks good fishing then they might just look at it as a stop gap. Having said that they stayed longer than 6 weeks in 96 when we had the last real good year class.

[Holmesy]

We had a few codling last year, one noticeable thing was that I was taking roes out of 3 and 4lb fish and some as small as 2.5lb. Not every one had them but a fairly high percentage say 30/40%. I was always under the belief that the fish didn't mature until they weighed around 5lb, its like the fish were rushing to spawn. That sort of thing usually is an indication of some sort of survival mechanism, I believe. Me and a mate have already had around a dozen codling off the beaches in 3 trips, most around 1lb the biggest at 3lb, I sincerely hope its the signs of a revival and not the last of a dying species.

Edited September 2, 2006 by Holmesy

[Norm B]

Would you like to share your source with me dale ?

 

Cefas year class studies show a pattern of lots of immature codling after periods of few going back over a couple of decades. What is concerning is that the size of the good year classes get less (ie the amount of small codlings now is fewer than the last good year class of 96) and the frequency of their spawning gets less. Wurzel would point out the correlation with cold winters and good spawnings. I would agree. Commercial effort takes its toll fast but many now think the shrinking of the fleet, quota cuts and decreased days at sea could be the saving factor for this year class. Im optimistic but not overly so. We have less Trawlers here now but if the offerings are good the Scottish white fish fleet will be here inside of a month.

The problem is that as soon as a few make size they'll kill 9 ton of discards to get 1 ton of size, no thoughts that if they leave them another year they'll all make size so none wasted.

[Davy Holt]

i read somewhere that a huge influx of immature fish after a lean spell usually happens just before a complete collapse of the stock.

 

This could well be true, but given the Cod stock collapsed on the West Coast many years ago.. I'm not so sure

[Snatcher]

I do hope you are right Davy. I may even start doing some night/winter sessions on Whitley Bay beach again

[Guest challenge]

I hope not but Theyve done it before John. Not saying they stay a long time but if they could have 6 weeks good fishing then they might just look at it as a stop gap. Having said that they stayed longer than 6 weeks in 96 when we had the last real good year class.

As I have said before, this fishery is very hit and miss. Sometimes (and I have witnessed it myself) you can go through the full fishery and not find the correct mark with fish in it.

Howard in emulate 2 did the same last year. Other boats where lucky and did ok out of it.

There’s a lot more static gear on the grounds this year and I would imagine even less boats will be fishing it. I would be surprised if any boat fishing this year was to take more cod out of the fishery than we have taken out of the North Sea with anglers.

I know you can argue that they have a big discard but I would happen to guess that it is only a small percentage in retrospect of a national average.

Anyway is it not us anglers who are doing all the damage catching the large mature cod?

We (on the chieftain) must have had 30 or 40 cod well over twenty pounds this summer and a couple over thirty. I would be surprised if as many big fish as that where to be taken out of the fishery that is causing all the concern.

Personally I hope they do well, it’s a fishery that some have relied on for a lot of years. But a hell of a lot of other boats (majority) working the North Sea, don’t even bother with it. Whitby boats included.

[glennk]

Yes John you are right about the big fish in the herring spawn fishery however I think there are certain times of year when big fish are the target and what you have caught in a year they will do in a couple of hours. The cefas report itself suggests the herring spawn fishery is an immature one. Its the discards that concern me. The research itself shows them to be very high . Do you know if cefas are working aboard the whitby boats this year at herring spawn time ? In previous years emulate and abbey leigh have been involved.

 

 

I agree there are less boats and therefore hopefully less damage.