CEFAS Fisheries Information

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science ( CEFAS ) have added a new Fisheries Information Service to their website.

See: http://www.cefas.co.uk/Fisheries/default.htm

Updated each March, the webpages will provide a wealth of information about the state of fish stocks by species and by area. 

"Cod can live longer than 15 years, however high fishing rates observed since the 1970s have resulted in less than 5% of 1-year-old cod surviving to age 4, the age at which approximately half of them will have matured."

Can you imagine what the fishing would be like if most were allowed to reach maturity, instead of just 2.5% !!

(The tonnages taken would be greater too!)

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"ICES recommended that given the low stock size and recent poor recruitment, it is not possible to identify any non-zero catch which will be compatible with the Precautionary Approach. Rebuilding can only be achieved if fishing mortality is significantly reduced on a longer term."