Cod (Gadus morhua) Migrations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Areas South of Newfoundland

Abstract

During the years 1975, 1976, 1980 and 1982 cod (Gadus morhua) tagging experiments were conducted, inside the Gulf of St. Lawrence and outside in areas south of Newfoundland, by French scientists from IFREMER St. Pierre and Miquelon laboratory, in order to study the population distribution and migration and to complement the experiments carried out by Canadian scientists. The analysis from all recoveries and results from these experiments are presented here. The relevance is that the comparison with the Canadian results would lead to a better understanding of the cod stock exchanges in the area. The migratory patterns were believed to be mainly a response to seasonal environmental condition changes. In winter the cod were noted to migrate from the central Gulf of St. Lawrence southwards to outside areas, and the reverse process occurred in spring. On St. Pierre Bank most of migrations were observed to take place to and from the offshore and inshore waters. Most of the cod on St. Pierre Bank were believed to remain in the area. Although some exchanges with the Grand Bank cod population were noted, the level of this migratory process which was variable from year to year seemed generally low