Fisheries Management Fa 08
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Fisheries Management: Depletion of the Grand Banks
Background Information
The Grand Banks are located on the North American Continental Shelf just off the coast of Newfoundland. They are comprised of hundreds of underwater plateaus, which range in depths of around 80 feet to anywhere up to 300 feet making it a relatively shallow area. This area has become a gold mine in the fishing industry due to the cold Labrador Current mixing in with the Gulf Stream, which creates a lot of nutrients.
Since the bottom is vastly different in certain areas the nutrients created by the mixing of these waters are brought to the surface. When this happens in creates one of the richest fishing grounds in the world. Species include Atlantic cod, haddock and capelin as well as lobster and scallops. The area also supports large colonies of sea birds and various sea mammals such as seals, dolphins and whales.
History of the Grand Banks
