The Arctic Cod

The Arctic Cod: A Study of Research into the British Trawl Fisheries discusses trawl fishing in the North Sea. The book reviews the history of trawl fishing from the seventeenth century until the mid-nineteenth century when it developed into an industry. Scientific studies of the Artic cod begins in 1860 when the Norwegians started keeping record of their catches at Lofoten. Britain starts to keep reliable records of catches in 1929; and the first study of the Artic cod was by Michael Graham in 1949, done in three ships, the R.V. Ernest Holt, G.O. Sars, and Johan Hjort. The book describes the research work done on the R.V. Ernest Holt at the cod grounds near Bear Island. The Artic cod lives in the Barents Sea and spawn in the Vestfjord; it travels between 1,000 and 1,600 miles each year between its feeding and spawning grounds. The text also describes how the study is undertaken at sea including monitoring temperature measurements, mesh-size, blood samples; and of carrying on studies of fish on the markets, such as recording the number of boats catching what kind of fish. The text also discusses the future of fisheries research in the international arena. This book is suitable for marine biologists, environmentalists, marine conservationists, and researchers interested in marine science.