Atlantic Herring Commercial Catch Data from the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf

1982 to present biological sampling data on Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) from commercial fisheries in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The dataset includes metadata, sample weight, fish length, sex, and specimen counts, collected by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Quebec region to assess stock demographics.

Use Cases

• Analyze fish length and sex distributions over time to study population structure changes from 1982 to present.
• Model sample weight relationships with fish length and sex to understand growth patterns in the St. Lawrence ecosystem.
• Assess temporal trends in specimen counts per sample to inform stock assessment and fisheries management decisions.

Strengths

• Data collection spans over 40 years, from 1982 to present, providing a long-term time series.
• Spatio-temporal coverage is described as relatively large, covering the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• Includes key biological variables such as fish length, sex, and sample weight for demographic analysis.

Limitations

• Specific row count and column count are unknown, limiting precise assessment of dataset scale.
• Data has been simplified (e.g., capture date) and some entries excluded to protect confidentiality, which may reduce granularity.
• Information concerning vessels and specific locations is excluded or aggregated, limiting detailed spatial or operational analysis.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Quebec region.

Collection Method

Collected at wharf or at sea by specialized DFO staff as part of the commercial catches sampling program.

Time Range

1982 to present.

Freshness

Data is updated to present, with a last platform update recorded on 2026-03-24.

Geography

Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.