A 4500-year time series of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) size and abundance: archaeology, oceanic regime shifts, and sustainable fisheries
A 4500-year archaeological record of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) bones from Sanak Island, Alaska, was used to assess the sustainability of the modern fishery and the effects of this fishery on the size of fish caught. Allometric reconstructions of Pacific cod length for eightprehistoric time periods indicated that the current size of the nearshore, commercially fished Pacific cod stocksis statistically unchanged from that of fish caught during 4500 years of subsistence harvesting. This findingindicates that the current Pacific cod fishery that uses selective harvesting technolog ies is a sustainablecommercial fishery. Variation in relative Pacific cod abundances provides further insights into the response ofthis species to punctuated changes in ocean climate (regime shifts) and indicates that Pacific cod stocks can recover from major environmental perturbations. Such palaeofisheriesdata can extend the short time-series of fisheries data (<50 yr) that form the basis for fisheries management inthe Gulf of Alaska and place current trends within the context of centennial- or millennial-scale patterns.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | article biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2008
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| Subjects: | Biology, Ecology, Fisheries, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/25469 |
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