An eighteenth century commercial length-frequency sample of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, based on archaeological data

A length frequency was developed from measurements of 174 cleithra of cod ( Gadus morhua) which had been recovered from the wreck of a fishing schooner lost on the coast of Nova Scotia during the 1750s. The fish were probably part of a commercial catch, most likely taken by handlines on the offshore banks in NAFO Divisions 4VsW. Their estimated lengths ranged from 52 to 120 cm with a mean of 89.1 cm. While modern hook-caught cod from NAFO Subarea 4 are usually much smaller than those lost on the wreck, fish of a similar size are still occasionally caught. Indeed, current longline catches of Grand Bank (Divisions 3NO) cod are of much larger fish. We conclude that, while the average size of northwest Atlantic cod may have decreased under modern fishing pressure, specialised fisheries can still target fish of similar sizes to those caught 200 years ago.