Evaluation and Utilisation of Fish Protein Isolate Products

4.2 ATLANTICCOD(Gadus morhua)Cod is caught all around Iceland and throughout the year butfishing is often best inwinter.Spawning takesplace in late winter, mainly off the southwest coast ofIceland. The mainfeeding groundsare off the northwest coast where the warmGulf stream of the Atlanticmeets the cold Polar currents and also along thenorth andeast coastof Iceland. Cod ismostly caught by bottom trawl, long line and gillnet and usually at depths of 100 - 250 mand ocean temperatures of 4 - 7 °C. The most common age of the landed catch is 4-7 yearsweighing 1-4 kgbut larger fish are alsocaught.The total fishable stock (4 years and older) was at the beginning of 2007estimatedat closeto 650,000 tonnes and the spawning stock at 180,000 tonnes. Long term landings of codhave varied from180,000 tonnes to 470,000 tonnes per year in the last 30 years, with anaverage of closeto 290,0000 tonnes. The total catch of cod byIcelandic vessels in Icelandicwaters was 194,000 tonnes in the calendar year 2006 andis expected to be 15-20,000tonnes less in 2007. The TAC set for the fishing year 2006/07 was 193,000 tonnes.The cod harvestrule employed since 1995 stated that the annual TAC for cod was to be setat 25% of thefishable biomass. Following recent recommendations by the MarineResearch Institute, and based on recent poor recruitment to the cod stock, the governmentdecided in July 2007 that the TAC for cod in the fishing year2007/08 should be set at 20%of the fishable biomass. The TAC set for the fishing year 2007/08 istherefore 130,000tonnes. Cod is by far the most economically important fish stock inIceland. In recentyearscod products have accounted for35-40% ofthe total seafood export revenue.94