February 14, 2007

 

VOLUNTEER DIVERS NEEDED FOR AQUARIUM LINGCOD EGG MASS SURVEY

Vancouver, BC: The Vancouver Aquarium is calling on volunteer divers to participate in the 14th annual Lingcod Egg Mass Survey, now through to March 4th, 2007.

 

Since 1994, the Aquarium has enlisted the help of volunteer divers to assess how lingcod stocks have been recovering since the Strait of Georgia's commercial lingcod fishery was closed in 1990. At the time of the closure, lingcod stocks were estimated to be just 3-5% of what they were when the fishery opened in 1889. In 2002, Fisheries and Oceans Canada banned sport fishing for lingcod throughout the Strait of Georgia in an effort to encourage population recovery.

Though the Lingcod Egg Mass Survey aims to collect data from all of British Columbia's coastal regions, the majority of the data (enough for statistical analysis) has come from Howe Sound, just north of Vancouver. Data from the 2006 survey indicated that the abundance of lingcod spawn in Howe sound has increased beyond the level of 2000-2005 and that lingcod are starting to recover around Greater Vancouver.

Divers participating in the survey will search for lingcod egg masses and record the depth, size, and condition of the egg masses. This information will help researchers gain an understanding about the size, welfare and age distribution of lingcod populations. Data can be submitted online until March 15.

 

Volunteer divers interested in participating may obtain survey instructions and more information from the Aquarium's website at www.vanaqua.org/lingcodsurvey or by contacting Conor McCracken at 604-659-3440 or lingcod@vanaqua.org