Warming waters and predation likely to make rebuilding Gulf of Maine cod a long process
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Cape Cod Times] By Doug Fraser - October 13, 2014 -
Our cod crisis has become a sad cliche, ironic enough to catch the eye of the national media, and the truth does indeed hurt. Just ask Chatham and Harwich fishermen, who fished in what was once one of the top cod ports in the country but now catch mostly skates and dogfish and very little cod.
A de facto fishing moratorium is coming that could stretch on for many years to come.
Andrew Pershing, chief scientific officer for the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, said, "Although cod are coldwater fish at the southern end of their range, there seems to be a universal opinion that even under a worst-case scenario for ocean warming, cod could still continue to live in the Gulf of Maine." But less food in the ocean, along with the increasing impact of predators might lower expectations.
To Read Full Story Login Below.