Final answer:
The genetic variation of the population of North East Arctic Cod is decreasing due to overfishing and the selective targeting of larger individuals .Overfishing selectively targets larger individuals, leading to a decrease in the genetic diversity of the population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The genetic variation of the population of North East Arctic Cod is most likely decreasing.
The decrease in average size of the cod is due to overfishing, where the fishing nets are designed to catch large fish, allowing smaller individuals to escape more easily.
Overfishing selectively targets larger individuals, leading to a decrease in the genetic diversity of the population.