Effect of oceanographic conditions on the abundance and distribution of beaked redfish (Sebastes mentella) in the NEAFC Convention Area

Trawl surveys, acoustic surveys,  commercial fishery data,  and  oceanographic information  have  been  compiled  and  made  available on ICES Sharepoint  website. The analysis deals  with the Irminger Sea and  with  the  “shallow”  and  the  “deep”  pelagic  redfish,  but  generally  the  analysis  does  not  distinguish  between  the  two  redfish  stocks.  A  relationship  was established between seasonal and interannual  movements of pelagic beaked redfish in the Irminger Sea and ocean currents and their associated physical properties (temperature and salinity). A decrease in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)  index strength  since  2008 and  the  present  deceleration  of  the  Subpolar  Gyre  (SPG)  suggest  a  subsequent  northeast displacement of redfish in the coming years. No relationship was established between the overall abundance of redfish and oceanographic conditions.