Impaired recovery of Atlantic cod -- forage fish or other factors?

(Press-News.org) Ottawa, Ontario (April 30, 2012) – In a rapid communication just published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, biologist Douglas Swain of the Gulf Fisheries Centre and Robert Mohn, emeritus scientist, at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography present findings that suggest the delay in recovery of Atlantic cod on the eastern Scotian Shelf could be attributed to increased predation by grey seals or other governing factors and not the effect of forage fish as previously thought. "Swain and Mohn provide provocative scientific evidence challenging the commonly held belief that species interactions with forage fish have impaired the recovery of Atlantic cod on the eastern Scotian Shelf during the 15-year fishing moratorium," says Rolf D. Vinebrooke, Co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. "They report a lack of a direct relationship between forage fish biomass and cod recruitment rates, suggesting that density-dependent effects of competition and predation by forage fish cannot therefore account for lack of recovery by cod stocks. Most importantly, their data show that the lack of resilience stems from as of yet unidentified factors affecting high death rates among adult cod." The authors conclude that further investigation is required to ensure proper understanding and appropriate management to improve the chances for recovery of Atlantic cod stocks. ### This article published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences is available Open Access at http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/journal/cjfas Full Reference: Swain, D.P. and Mohn, R.K. Forage fish and the factors governing recovery of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) on the eastern Scotian Shelf. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 69(6) doi: 10.1139/F2012-045. (http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full/10.1139/f2012-045) About the Publisher NRC Research Press, which began as the publishing arm of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) in 1929, transitioned in September 2010 from NRC and the Federal Government of Canada into an independent not-for-profit organization operating under the new name Canadian Science Publishing. Canadian Science Publishing (which continues to operate its journals under the brand NRC Research Press) is the foremost scientific publisher in Canada, publishing 15 of its own journals and providing advanced electronic publishing services to its clients. With over 50 highly skilled experts and an editorial team comprising some of the world's leading researchers, NRC Research Press (Canadian Science Publishing) communicates scientific discoveries to over 175 countries. Disclaimer Canadian Science Publishing operates under the brand NRC Research Press but is not affiliated with the National Research Council Canada. Papers published by Canadian Science Publishing are peer-reviewed by experts in their field. The views of the authors in no way reflect the opinions of Canadian Science Publishing or the National Research Council of Canada. Requests for commentary about the contents of any study should be directed to the authors. PLEASE CITE Canadian Science Publishing (operating under the brand NRC Research Press), AND OUR WEBSITE, http://nrcresearchpress.com, AS THE SOURCE OF THE PREVIOUS ITEM. IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO http://nrcresearchpress.com/action/showNews?filter=recent