According to the minister, cod stocks remain healthy, and quotas are increasing.
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The Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture/Aquaculture in Canada, Loyola O’Driscoll, expressed last month during the House of Assembly his desire to increase the limit for individual cod fisheries in the region.
Also, he stressed the need for greater flexibility in scheduling, including an extended season and additional fishing dates, in order to balance sustainability with long-term socio-economic benefits.
According to the minister, cod stocks remain healthy, and quotas are increasing, while he also emphasized the importance of cod and the province's food fishery.
"Together, these measures would improve flexibility, increase participation, and strengthen the role of this traditional fishery for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. We look forward to greater collaboration in the joint management of the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador," the politician highlighted.
Furthermore, according to the Canadian media company Stingray Group Inc., the Labrador Fishermen's Union Shrimp Company requested a 5% share of the offshore northern cod Total Allowable Catch (TAC) from the Canadian federal government.
The company's president, Dwight Russell, said that more than half of the biomass is found near Labrador communities, which currently do not have a specific allocation, according to the report.
Also, he pointed out that, with shrimp quotas decreasing and crab stocks under pressure, cod is the main opportunity to secure the future viability of the company and the fishing communities in Labrador.
Last summer, the government had already announced a sustainable increase in the Northern cod Total Allowable Catch (TAC), with the aim of benefiting coastal communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Finally, public consultations have been launched to inform future management decisions regarding the recreational cod fishery. This will allow for the collection of feedback on the fishery and the assessment of the health of the three cod stocks in the province.
