American Plaice
(Hippoglossoides
platessoides ) is a
groundfish species which is widely distributed throughout
the Northwest Atlantic. Throughout this range (from West
Greenland to the Gulf of Maine), they are associated with
depths from 80-250m and cold water temperatures from 1.5 to
less than 0 degrees Celsius. St. Georges Bay is on the
shallow edge of their summer range with depths from 40-200m.
They can be found on fine sand and soft muddy bottoms.
Female plaice grow faster and get considerably larger than
male plaice, and thus the commercial catches are dominated
by females.
Commercial concentrations of
American Plaice can be found down the coast of Cape Breton
to Cape George in the eastern part of the southern Gulf of
St. Lawrence. Fishing is also conducted in the western Gulf
off Miscou Bank and south of the Gaspé Penninsula.
The species was fished mainly with longlines in the 1930s . By the 1960s most landings
were made by seines and otter
trawls. Plaice are now
caught by a diverse fishery of fixed and mobile gear, with
the dominant sector being seines (75% of landings in 1997)
operated by vessels less than 45 feet. Plaice has been under
quota management since 1977. Recent management measures
including increased mesh sizes and mandatory landing of all
catches, have reduced discarding but there is still
uncertainty in plaice landings. This is crucial to the
management of the stock as discards make it difficult to
estimate the level of fishing mortality.
Two stock components of Plaice
appear to be found in the Southern Gulf. The 'Cape Breton'
group adults spend winter near the Laurentian Channel and
move inshore during the spring and early summer where they
stay until September. The younger fish do not make as
extensive winter movements. Spawning occurs from early
spring to summer when they move inshore. The fertilized eggs
float near the water surface for several days. After
hatching, plaice are pelagic until they reach a length of
18mm.
Plaices fishing
grounds in the St. Georges
Bay area are further offshore than the Winter Flounder
grounds, and much of the landings for the species are
recorded in Port Hood and Ballantynes Cove. Annual landings
have varied between 150 and 605 tons. Maximum landings
occurred in 1995 which were around 600 tons.
Since 1993-1996, the fishery is
much more regulated. Fisheries were closed to individuals
when cod bycatch exceeded 25% of the total catch weight. The
fishing season starts in mid-June or early July and ends in
the fall around mid-September to early October.
Traditionally, catches increased at the end of June
following the lobster season and peaked in the month of July
as Plaice migrate into the Bay. Fishing continued until
early October by which time Plaice begin to migrate out of
the Bay. In recent years (1996 and 1997) reduced catch
quotas and increased interest in Plaice has resulted in the
fishery being concentrated in two distinct seasons, July and
September.
Back to Summary of
Fisheries in St. Georges Bay
