The Distribution of Hagfish along the West Coast of Canada

Hagfish have been fished in the West Pacific for decades but now are in decline in some areas, as a result of fishing pressure. Prior to further expansion of hagfish fisheries along the West coast of North America there has been a push to increase our understanding of their dynamics, particularly distribution.  The physiology of the Pacific and Black hagfish is well known, however, basic ecological information remains lacking. There have been multiple experimental hagfish fisheries (1988-1992, 1999-2001, and 2013-14) along the West coast of Canada over the past few decades in order to fill these gaps in information.  Here we summarize the changes in distribution, including sex-specific seasonal migrations and depth distributions, along the West coast of Canada between 1988 and 2014. Our results should help managers to improve spatial management of the fishery to prevent overfishing.