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Just before the beginning of the fishing season you capture, tag, and release 45

ID: 299994 • Letter: J

Question

Just before the beginning of the fishing season you capture, tag, and release 4500 adult cod (Gadus morhua) from the Barents Sea. At the end of the season you learn from the United Kingdom Trawler Fleet working these waters that a total 195, 500 fish were taken in the season, of which 1, 950 fish were found bearing your tag. From these data calculate the "fishing ratio", also known as the rate of exploitation, of this fishery. What was the size of the cod population actually available to this fishery at the beginning of the season?

Explanation / Answer

you captured and tagged 4500 Cod fishes at the begining of the season

At the end of the season:

Total fishes = 195500

Fishes with Tag = 1950

Fishing ratio = 1950 : 195500 = 0.00997 or 0.01

Fishes tag at the begining of the season : Total fishes at begining of the season = Fishes with tag in the end of the season : total fishes post season

=> Fishes at the begining of the season = 4500 x 195500 / 1050 = ~837857 fishes

Size of the cod population at the begining of the season was 837857 fishes.