Atlantic Halibut Commercial Catch Data from the St. Lawrence

Quebec's Department of Fisheries and Oceans provides biological sampling data for Atlantic halibut commercial catches in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The dataset includes metadata, sample weight, fish length, sex, and specimen counts, covering the period from 1995 to the present.

Use Cases

• Analyze length-frequency distributions of Atlantic halibut by sex to assess population structure.
• Model growth rates and size-at-age relationships using the fish length and sample weight data.
• Track temporal trends in commercial catch composition from 1995 onward using the metadata and specimen counts.

Strengths

• Provides multi-decadal time series data starting in 1995.
• Includes key biological variables like fish length, weight, and sex.
• Collected by specialized DFO staff with a mandate for scientific assessment.

Limitations

• Data has been simplified (e.g., capture date) and some information excluded to protect confidentiality.
• Entries with only one vessel in a fishing area per year were removed, potentially biasing spatial coverage.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Quebec Region.

Collection Method

Sampling of commercial catches at wharf or at sea by DFO staff.

Time Range

1995 to present.

Freshness

Updated to present, with a last platform update in March 2026.

Geography

Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.