Surveys in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant that now is closed show large and long-time variations in stock indices of various species, among them cod and eel.
The surveys, performed by the Swedish Board of Fisheries with pound-nets and fyke-nets in the vicinity of the Barsebäck nuclear power plant in the Öresund area, demonstrate a general decrease in the early 1970´s, followed by a slow but lasting recovery of biomass during the summer season.
The closure of the power plant in the late 1990´s had a positive effect on the catch of the cold water species cod and eelpout, but no effect was observed on other species common in the catches. Changes in fishing patterns and climate are suggested as possible drivers behind large scale variability of catches of cod and eel. A strong recovery of the eel-pout stock in the early 2000´s differ from a negative trend in more marine areas of the Swedish west coast.