Loddeundersøkelser i Barentshavet i november- desember 1971

Abstract

Relative echo abundance of capelin is given. Mainly young immature capelin was found in the area Thompson Ground - southern part of the Sentral Bank. The population in the area between the Sentral Bank and the Skolpen Bank was dominated by older maturing specimens. Of the maturing specimens in the catches 14 % was from the 1969 year-class, 66 % from the 1968 year-class and 20 % from the 1967 year-class. The distribution of capelin showed a relation to the hydrographic situation, with recordings in the front areas. Compared to the distribution found on a similar survey in September, part of the capelin population had migrated south in the cold water towards the Skolpen Bank. The survey was limited northwards by the ice border, and it is tentatively concluded that only about 50 % of the population was distributed outside the ice covered area.