Acoustic estimates of spawning cod off Lofoten in 1986

Abstract

The annual survey on the spawning stock of North-east Arctic cod were carried out in the Lofoten area in March 1986. This survey was undertaken to estimate the size and age structure of the spawning cod on the main spawning grounds. The area used in the estimation this year is the same as in the Lofoten survey in 1985, including a larger part of the area north of Lofoten compared to earlier years. However, the extent of covering in time is less this year than in 1985. The estimated number of spawning cod in the same area in 1985 was found to be about 24 million specimens. This is a reduction of 35 percent compared to the result in 1985. No estimate is given for the Møre area this year. This is because that it is clear that the abundance of cod at Møre is very small and not measurable.