New insights into the recent collapse of Eastern Baltic cod from historical data on stock health.

ABSTRACT: The Eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) stock is currently in a very poor state, with low biomass and adverse trends in several life history and demographic parameters. This raises concern over whether and to what level recovery is possible. Here, we look for new insights from a historical perspective, extending the time series of various stock health indicators back to the 1940s, i.e. to the beginning of intensive exploitation of the Eastern Baltic cod. The historical data confirm that the stock deterioration in recent years is unprecedented, as all indicators are presently in their worst states on record. Cod body condition and energy reserves were equally low in the 1940s-1950s, accompanied by high parasitic liver worm infection, comparable to that measured in recent years. However, other

SUBMITTER: Eero M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10212152 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature