Assessment and management of the Georges Bank cod fishery: an historical review and evaluation

Abstract

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. 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. -from Authors