Marine Fish Division Marine Fish Division Marine Fish Division conducts research on commercially important fish species, as well as on marine mammals, within the Maritimes Region. The mandate is to increase our understanding of the factors regulating the distribution and abundance of target species through studies at the population and community levels, as well as to evaluate the impacts of human activities on fisheries production.
Advice is provided on stock status, and on the implications of fishing practices.
In addition, advice is provided on the impact of human activities on fisheries production. The trends in groundfish population abundance in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the eastern Scotian Shelf, in response to ecosystem changes and fishing practices have been different from those observed on the western Scotian Shelf and in the Gulf of Maine area. An integrated research program at the ecosystem level addresses the factors that regulate the recovery of the cod stocks. There is a unique opportunity to estimate changes in natural mortality and the process of stock recovery during a period of change. The program is integrated with the Oceans Division.