Bunnfiskundersøkelser ved Bjørnøya og Vestspitsbergen høsten 1977

Abstract

This report describes the results from a survey with R.V. "G.O.Sars" from 10 October to 5 November 1977 on demersal fish in the area off Bear Island and West-Spitsbergen. The most abundant species in the trawl catches were blue whiting, long rough dab, prawns, cod and redfish (Sebastes mentella), which respectively amounted to 31.5%, 19.2%, 15.l %, 13.4% and 9.9% of the catches. Compared with 1976 there were caught more prawns and less cod, haddock and redfish. The most numerous year class of cod were the 1973, 1975 and 1972 year classes. Haddock was very scarce. Redfish was abundant but specimens longer than 30 cm were few in the catches.