Norwegian investigations on young cod and haddock in the Barents Sea during the winter 1982

Abstract

An acoustic survey and a bottom trawl survey were carried out in the Barents Sea during winter 1982. Both surveys showed that there has been a reduction in the total number of cod of about 50% and about 75% for haddock in the area surveyed. This reduction mostly reflect the reduction of fish 6 years and older for cod and 5 years and older for haddock. This is probably due to an early maturing of the 1975 yearclass of cod and the 1976 yearclass of haddock and a migration to spawning areas south of the area surveyed. For cod 2-4 years old no reduction was observed, and for young haddock the 1979 yearclass was reduced. The investigations indicate that the yearclasses 1977-1980 are very poor for both cod and haddock.