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In general, most Cod overwinter on the eastern edge of their boundary - on the edge of the Continental shelf. During the summer, they come inland (western edge of the boundary) to
spawn.
The cod along the northern shore of Newfoundland - the Belle Island and Hamilton Bank population - tend to move southward and inland between April and June. From June to September, they spawn inshore; most Cod return to around the same location each year -within a 100 mile range. However, to find this range, they evidently must travel up and down the shore a considerable amount (between 49 and 55 degrees latitude). See below for visualization of specific range, with actual data points of tagged, tracked fish population.
After spawning, the population moves back northward and eastward in September.
The cod along the southern shore of Newfoundland - the Northern Grand Banks area - tend to follow a similar spawning/overwintering cycle. However, they tend to fluctuate more in location - both latitudinally and longitudinally - than their northern cousins. What does this mean for creating closed areas?
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