Stock and recruitment relationship in the Northeast Arctic cod stock and the implications for management of the stock

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Abstract
The Ricker stock and recruitment equation has been fitted to data for the northeast Arctic cod stock covering the period 1942–1968. From this relationship the mature stock size which produces the maximum equilibrium harvestable catch has been determined. A relationship has been derived between stock size and the annual fishing mortality required to harvest production in excess of that required to replace the parent stock. The implications of these relationships on the management of the stock have been discussed and a computer simulation technique has been used to study the effects, over a 25 year period, of fishing at various stabilized levels of fishing mortality. A level of fishing mortality much lower than at present would be required to allow the spawning stock size to build up from the very low level expected in the mid 1970s and thereby reduce the risk of recruitment failure.