Merkeforsøk med sei på norskekysten 1975-1977

Abstract

In 1975-77, 18 942 saithe were tagged on the Norwegian coast, a continuation of a tagging program which started in 1972. The results confirm the migration pattern indicated by experiments in 1970-74. There is a substantial migration of immature saithe to the North Sea from the Norwegian coast between 62° and 65°N, and this coastal area seems to a large extent to serve as a nursery area for the North Sea stock of saithe. On the basis of the results from the tagging experiments, the justification for keeping the present management units with a North Sea and a North East Arctic stock of saithe defined by a border along 62°N, is questioned. A merging of the two stocks to one management unit is not desirable, but there may be alternatives to using 62°N as a border-line between the stocks.