Fishing the line: catch and effort distribution around the seasonal haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) spawning closure on the Scotian Shelf

Permanent and seasonal area closures are a common regulatory strategy in multispecies fisheries; however, few studies have closely examined seasonal closures. We examined the impact of the Browns Bank spawning closure on the spatial distribution of fishing effort and how the fleet utilized a “fishing the line” strategy. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine changes in effort distribution when the closure was and was not in effect. Effort displaced from the bank concentrated primarily within two areas up to 30 km from the closure boundary, one along the east boundary line and one along the west. Trends in catch rate (as value) with distance from the line were further examined using generalized additive models during the closed period, with results differing between regions. In the east, areas of greater catch rate could be identified and typically corresponded to areas of greater effort, while in the west region, no trends in catch rates were often observed, potentially indicating vessel distributions that correspond to the ideal free distribution. Implementation of a seasonal area closure on Browns Bank resulted in concentrations of vessels near the closure boundary, suggestive of a fishing the line strategy, with specific catch rate trends depending on vessel spatial distributions and target species.