Lingcod

Blue cod, Bluefish, Bacalao, Buffalo, Buffalo cod, Card, cod, Codfish, Cultus, Cultus cod, Dragonfish, Green cod, Greenling, Greenlinger, Kin mustu (Japan), Leopard cod, Ling, Lingcod, Pacific cultus, Skilfish, Steamer cod, Testoni, White cod

Lingcod vary in color from grey-brown to green and bluish, with darker spotting and mottling on upper parts. They are
considered common in their range, from west of the Shumagin Islands in the Gulf of Alaska southeastward to Pt. San Carlos, Baja California in Mexico.

The preferred habitat for lingcod varies depending on age and gender of the fish. Larvae are pelagic both nearshore and offshore. When 8-10 cm long (3 months), juveniles begin to settle in sand, gravel and eelgrass in bays, estuaries and shallow soft bottoms, then at ages one to two years, move to rocky bottom areas. Adults are often found on rocky bottom substrate from the intertidal zone to more than 300 m depth on the continental shelf, but typically prefer 0 to 70 m depth.

Life history characteristics differ slightly between male and female lingcod and with geographic location. In general lingcod exhibit high reproductive output and juveniles are relatively fast-growing. Their overall growth rate and longevity, however, leaves them “moderately” vulnerable to fishing pressure.

There has been a long-term decrease in stock abundance but a short-term increase. There is some uncertainty for the southern US stock, but overall uncertainty is low. The northern stock is not considered overfished but the southern stock has lower abundance and higher recreational annual catch totals. Recent increases show that that stocks are rebuilding coast-wide, thus both US stocks are ranked as “moderate/rebuilding”.

Detailed stock information from the Canadian and Alaskan lingcod stocks were not made available for this assessment. The summary information available for Canada indicated that the directed commercial fishery for lingcod has experienced long-term declines, and recent trends are flat. The lingcod stocks in the Strait of Georgia appear to be in poor condition where commercial harvest has been halted but recreational harvest continues. Long-term catch per unit effort data show declines but the recent trend is more favourable. Stocks in western Canada and Alaska are both rated unknown and so are of “moderate” conservation concern.

Approximately half of the US west coast and a majority of the Canadian commercial lingcod fishery employs trawl gear. Trawl gear inherently results in large discard levels of various species including an overfished species and so is considered of “moderate” conservation concern in both countries. The other half of the fishery in the US and a small proportion in Canada utilises hook-and-line gear which results in much less bycatch and is considered of “low” conservation concern.

Trawling gear causes great habitat damage. The US west coast fishery employs approximately 50% trawling, the Canadian fishery is dominated by trawling, and the Alaskan fishery is dominated by hook-and-line methods. In all regions, the effect of the commercial lingcod trawl fishery is considered of “severe” conservation concern and the hook-and-line fishery is of “low” concern.

Management of the US west coast fishery is committed to robust and frequent stock assessments that utilise fishery-dependent and independent data. Management’s recent regulations for the commercial lingcod fishery have been effective in that the stocks are now rebuilding, but there is still concern over recreational catches.

There is substantial uncertainty in the Canadian lingcod stock status as of 2002 and there is no bycatch management in place. Responsible fishing practises are being promoted through education and individual quotas for trawlers.

Overall, management of the lingcod fishery is considered “moderately effective”.

What gear type was used to catch this lingcod?

Contaminant levels do not warrant a consumption advisory.

No.