North Sea plaice : population dynamics migration and fisheries as a basis for a bio-economic simulation model

Presents data on the population dynamics, migration and the fisheries of North Sea plaice which will form the basis of bio-economic simulation model of the spatial dynamics of plaice and its fisheries. Data on population abundance (numbers and weight), age- and size composition, growth rate and quarterly distribution patterns are presented by statistical rectangle. Migration vectors, estimated from conventionel (Petersen) tagging experiments, are presented which describe the direction and speed of migration of the plaice population by month and by rectangle. The dependence of migration speed and dispersion rate on fish size is shown. Fisheries data presented comprise of quarterly distribution patterns of the total international effort for the mid 1970s and for 1991. Additional data are presented on the Dutch beam trawl effort in 1991, as well as landings data corresponding to these effort patterns.