Cod (Gadus morhua) in subareas 1 and 2 (Norwegian coastal waters cod)

In the absence of defined precautionary reference points the state of the stock cannot be fully evaluated. Survey trends

in combination with reported landings indicate that the SSB is close to the lowest observed level. Recruitment declined

over the period 1995 2002 and has remained low since. Recruitment is clearly impaired at present SSB. Fishing mortality is unknown, and the harvest rate (proxy for fishing mortality) has increased in 2008 after a decline in recent years.