Atlantic cod to disappear from southern Gulf of St. Lawrence within 20 to 40 years

Ottawa, ON, November 18, 2008 – As recently as the mid-1980s, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) was the dominant demersal fish and likely most important predator in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem. Most cod stocks in Atlantic Canada collapsed in the early 1990s and have failed to recover. Atlantic cod may disappear from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence within 20 years if fishing continues at current rates. Even if fishing were entirely curtailed, the cod in this area could die out within 40 years. These are the findings of a new study of cod stocks' vulnerability under several scenarios by scientists with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.

The Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences is a monthly journal published by NRC Research Press and the primary publishing vehicle for the multidisciplinary field of aquatic sciences. It publishes perspectives (syntheses, critiques, and re-evaluations), discussions (comments and replies), articles, and rapid communications, relating to current research on cells, organisms, populations, ecosystems, or processes that affect aquatic systems.

NRC Research Press, Canada's foremost scientific publisher, publishes 16 peer-reviewed journal titles in the areas of science, engineering, and health as well as monographs and conference proceedings. Access a full list of their publications.

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