QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Commercial Cod Fishery
June 4, 2024
Thank you for being here, minister. A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences suggested that Newfoundland and Labrador’s northern cod have returned to their historical migration patterns. Combined with the new DFO assessment model indicating that northern cod stocks have been out of the critical zone since 2016, this suggests the potential for reopening the commercial cod fishery in the future.
Given the historical and economic significance of the cod fishery to our province, as well as the profound impact of the 1992 moratorium on the livelihood of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, what steps is your department taking to evaluate the feasibility of reopening the commercial cod fishery?
Yes, I’ve been made aware of that. I’ve also attended briefing sessions, and I should soon be announcing how we will go about reopening the cod fishery.
I want to be clear that we’re moving forward cautiously. I lived through the cod moratorium and witnessed the catastrophic effects it had on communities. I want to assure you and reassure you that I have no intention of living through a second cod moratorium. We’re going to do things in such a way that future generations will have access to these important resources.
Thank you, minister.
Perhaps you could highlight the lessons your department learned from the 1992 moratorium that will guide the management of any potential reopening of this fishery and ensure long-term sustainability. Thank you.
As I mentioned, we’re moving forward cautiously, and we will make sure that there is no overfishing because that is what causes prices to drop.
We want a responsible fishery, a fishery that is certified to the Marine Stewardship Council, or MSC, standard, and we will accomplish that by ensuring that we use all parts of the product. We’re also seeing this with what is happening right now around the world with global warming and the warming of the oceans. We need to be careful about how we go about reopening the cod fishery.
