Attendees at the Northern Cod 'Fishery Improvement Project' update meeting held last week in Barcelona.
Photo: Atlantic Groundfish Council.
Gathered in Barcelona on the occasion of the 32nd edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global held last week, attendees at the Northern Cod 'Fishery Improvement Project' (FIP) update received the news that Canada's Northern cod was officially entering the assessment process for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainability certification in 2026.
Over the past decade, industry, government, academia, and international customers have met annually to review the progress of the Northern Cod FIP, discuss the latest science on the stock, and reaffirm their collective commitment to the sustainable management and growth of this iconic species.
Stakeholders in attendance this year included Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), Marks & Spencer, Sofina Foods / Young's, Thistle Seafoods and New England Seafood from the UK; Sysco France, Cornic-Novamer, and Cité Marine from France; Nomad Foods from Europe; High Liner Foods from Canada/United States; and Canadian producer organizations including Ocean Choice International, Icewater Seafoods, Ueushuk Fisheries, the Atlantic Groundfish Council and the Association of Seafood Producers.
In addition, representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and the Marine Stewardship Council also participated, as well as researchers from Dalhousie and Memorial Universities.
The long-awaited announcement came at a significant and especially symbolic moment, since the creation of the MSC worldwide was precisely a response to the collapse of this same cod stock that is now beginning its evaluation process.
Led jointly by the Atlantic Groundfish Council and the Association of Seafood Producers, Canada's Northern Cod 'Fishery Improvement Project' has also been supported since its inception in 2015 by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), a recognized non-profit organization that works with seafood supply chains globally to rebuild depleted fish stocks, reduce the environmental impacts of fishing and aquaculture, and ensure sustainable economic opportunities for fishing communities around the world.
Since last year's meeting, the FIP has focused on investigating population movement and structure using data from its Northern Cod Acoustic Tracking (NCAT), and all indications are that, while the last few years have been positive for the stock, a remarkable recovery story is unfolding in 2026.
The best available scientific evidence confirms that Canada's Northern cod not only remains in the 'Healthy Zone' within the framework of the DFO's precautionary approach, but has grown by 20% in the last year.
Northern cod still has the largest spawning biomass of any cod stock in the world, at 540,000 metric tons, and the scientific assessment included strong signs that the population will continue to grow in the coming years.
Moreover, the Atlantic Groundfish Council release also announced that, in 2026, two new projects will investigate natural mortality and spawning with the hope of improving the understanding of stock dynamics and improving the Northern cod assessment model.
Reactions to the news were swift in Barcelona, starting with that of the President of the Atlantic Groundfish Council, Sylvie Lapointe. "With a healthy and growing stock, the research achieved through the FIP will be a meaningful part of the understanding and management of Northern cod well into the future," she said, while highlighting the decades-long commitment that industry, academia, government, environmental NGOs and customers have demonstrated to the recovery and long-term sustainability of this fishery.
"The progress made by the Northern cod fishery reflects decades of hard work and collaboration by the fishers, the management agency, and many stakeholders. It is a remarkable turnaround and will mean so much to the coastal communities in Newfoundland and Labrador," said, for his part, MSC CEO Rupert Howes, congratulating all those involved who have got the fishery to this point.
"Entering full assessment against MSC's standard for environmentally responsible and sustainable fishing is a milestone," he continued. "The fishery will now be assessed by a team of independent experts in a very transparent and evidence-based process which encourages active stakeholder engagement and participation."
"There is excitement and pride here in Barcelona today, but there is also growing excitement and pride at home in Newfoundland and Labrador, where people and communities will feel the economic benefits of a strong, healthy, Northern cod stock that is sought around the world," added the Executive Director at the Association of Seafood Producers, Lorelei Roberts.
Furthermore, as some participants at the Barcelona meeting pointed out, this is happening while the global supply of cod is dwindling, creating a unique opportunity for Northern cod and for those who contribute to its responsible harvesting and processing, as customers will look to Canada for a consistent supply of high-quality cod, something the people and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador have been working towards for years.