Instead of kneejerk responses to dogfish...

[labrax]

Maybe their numbers are so high because they have filled the niche that the cod once occupied. Reduced cod stocks left a hole that the dogfish came in and filled, which in turn could hamper the cod's chance of making a rebound as they are then in competition with the cod for the same resources...

[likwid]

Originally Posted by labrax

Maybe their numbers are so high because they have filled the niche that the cod once occupied. Reduced cod stocks left a hole that the dogfish came in and filled, which in turn could hamper the cod's chance of making a rebound as they are then in competition with the cod for the same resources...

I think the cod are under alot more pressure than from just dogfish.

Mike: You mean kinda like how there were so many bass it was their fault that there was no bunker for Omega Protein?

Populations don't just explode for no reason other than "well they're not being fished!"
They're still a heavy bycatch in the trawls.

[Clogston29]

Your right, just not being fished commercially is not enough to make populations explode. However the effect of not being commercially fished while all of their competative species are being commercially fished, and many would say overfished, would increase the effect. I don't see how just opening up dog fish to commercial fisherman is going to decrease their numbers significantly though so why not do it if there is a market for them. I assume that the market is pretty small and the price pretty low so I don't really think alot of people will see it worth while to target them anyways.