Abstract

Sustainable management of fish stocks requires knowledge of stock structure and connectivity between spawning and feeding habitats. Cod in the Sound in the western Baltic Sea are an example of a stock component with complex connectivity patterns. Currently cod in this area are managed as part of the western Baltic cod stock, while several studies suggest potential connectivity with the neighbouring stock in Kattegat. Here we assess the degree of ecological connectivity of cod in the Sound with the neighbouring areas using historical tagging data from 1957 to 1987, and contemporary growth data from trawl surveys collected between 2007 and 2021. Furthermore, data from cod tagged outside of the Sound between 1960 and 2018 and recaptured in the Sound was used to examine immigration from outside areas. The ecological connectivity between the Sound and Kattegat appeared to be considerable, primarily during the spawning season. Furthermore, cod tagged in the northern Sound were most likely to be recaptured in Kattegat while cod tagged in the southern part of the Sound were mainly recaptured in the Sound. Only 40 out of 16,789 tagged cod released outside of the Sound were eventually recaptured inside the Sound. Overall, these results highlight the need for further examination into the current stock structure of cod in the western Baltic and adjacent areas.

Keywords

Connectivity; The Sound; The Baltic; Atlantic cod; Mark -recapture

Published in

Fisheries Research
2023, Volume: 261, article number: 106617

SLU Authors

• Mion, Monica

  • Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Casini, Michele

  • Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • University of Bologna

Associated SLU-program

Coastal and sea areas


Sustainable Development Goals

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development


UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Fish and Wildlife Management
Fish and Aquacultural Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106617

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/120951