August 1, 2014 — The health of the Gulf of Maine cod stock worsened in 2013 in virtually every indicator, according to the preliminary results of an unscheduled NOAA stock assessment that the federal fisheries regulator said “presents a grim picture for the potential recovery of this iconic fish stock.”
The assessment, according to NOAA, was performed after the most recent survey data for the Gulf of Maine cod showed “all major indicators of stock health appear to have deteriorated since the 2012 assessment.” The agency released the preliminary results of the assessment late Friday afternoon.
The survey and assessment, according to NOAA, showed two major disturbing declines:
— Spawning biomass levels are estimated to be at only 3-to-4 percent of the biomass target for maximum sustainable yield.
— Fishery resource survey indices and spawning stock biomass are at all-time lows.
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times