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By taking part in the Annual Lingcod Egg Mass Survey, you are helping to gather important information about a valuable local resource. We should be very concerned when a stock has reached 3-5 percent of what it was a century ago. Divers participating in this annual survey collect information on the number, size, condition, and position of egg masses, as well as whether or not a guarding male is present. Data such as these help us determine the health of local lingcod populations.
The 2013 Survey takes place February 2 through April 7, 2013. During this time divers will gather data on lingcod egg masses.
If you have any questions, or would like an information package sent to you, please email fishlab@vanaqua.org.
Note: Some instructions on data collection techniques have changed. Please download the 2013 Instruction Package and read it thoroughly before heading out on your dives. Thank You!
February 2 to April 7, 2013
Local British Columbia coast
Instruction Package
Survey Waiver
2013 Data Sheet
2012 LEMS Report
Divers Wanted
By Rendezvous Dive Adventures
In 1994, the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society (MLSS) created a project to involve the sport diving community in assisting with the collection of data on lingcod populations. At the time the commercial lingcod fishery in Georgia Strait had recently been closed, and the sport fishery was restricted by new size limits and annual bag limits. This project, now sponsored and organized by the Vancouver Aquarium, is called the Lingcod Egg Mass Survey (LEMS).
The survey is carried out just after mature female lingcod spawn. After spawning, the female leaves the male to guard the nest site. The size of the egg mass indicates the age of the spawning female while the number of egg masses observed in a given area helps researchers determine lingcod abundance. The survey uses data collected by volunteer divers to evaluate the status of lingcod populations on the coast of B.C. These data provide information on the reproductive outputs of lingcod, as well as an insight into the age structure of the female lingcod population.
The lingcod is a bottom dwelling fish that inhabits the local waters of B.C.'s coast. Lingcod can grow up to 1.5 meters in length and weigh up to 45 kg. Lingcod spawn from December through to early April in the Strait of Georgia, with peak egg mass abundance in late February. The males guard the egg masses, which resemble Styrofoam, for over a month, until hatching. The behavior of the guarding male and the distinctive appearance of the egg masses are easily identified by volunteer divers.
The lingcod projects at the Vancouver Aquarium, including the Lingcod Egg Mass Survey and lingcod rearing in the research laboratory, have emerged due to serious concerns regarding the overfishing of lingcod stocks. Strait of Georgia Lingcod stocks are just 7-22 percent of what they were 100 years ago except for the Vancouver area, at less than 1 percent. In 1990, the commercial fishery for lingcod was stopped and in 2002, sportfishing for lingcod was banned in the Strait of Georgia.
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