New hope for the northern cod fishery in Canada

In late October, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced that there would be some important changes in the calculation of the northern cod resource.  DFO said it would use the limit reference point (LRP) model hereafter, and this would lift the stock from “critical” to “cautious” under the precautionary approach. DFO said that the northern cod stock is now believed to be healthier than previously thought. 

The northern cod fishery is a long-term activity that started as early as in the 15th and 16th century. In the 20th century, this fishery peaked in 1968, when 810 000 tonnes were landed before declining steadily to 140 000 tonnes in 1978, and then increasing again to 240 000 tonnes in the 1980s. However, catches were declining through the 1980s and the Canadian government finally declared a moratorium in 1992. This moratorium lasted until 2021, when DFO advised that the fishing quota could be set at 12 999 tonnes. In 2022, the quota was increased to 17 000 tonnes. Currently, it may be that the quota can be lifted when the new LRP model is being used. It remains to be seen if this will bring the old fishery back to previous heights.