Tag Archives: Alberto Wareham

In cod we trust: Newfoundland’s famous fish aims at a comeback, but not everyone’s happy

By 1992, the mighty cod had been fished to near oblivion, and the federal government declared a moratorium, indefinitely closing the industry in the hopes that the cod stock could rebuild itself over time. Some 30,000 Newfoundlanders lost their jobs and 10 per cent of the population headed west to Ontario, Alberta and beyond to find work in a mass outmigration the province has never fully recovered from. But if there is one truth in this life, it is that it is hard not to root for a good comeback story. Cod, in theory, was positioned to be such a comeback kid this summer when the federal government in June announced that the moratorium on the commercial cod fishery was being lifted after 32 years. Yet instead of parades, parties and fireworks, the announcement was met with discontent, particularly among small, inshore fish harvesters. That is, the skippers and salty olde sea dogs and their crews, wresting a living from the sea in small, 15-metre boats or less, who claim the end of the moratorium and return of the massive offshore “draggers” to the cod fishery is the beginning of the end for the North Atlantic cod 2.0. photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:10

Cod stock reassessment prompts calls from producers to end moratorium

A recent reassessment of Newfoundland and Labrador’s northern cod stock has some in the industry calling an end to the commercial moratorium implemented in 1992. Alberto Wareham, president and CEO of Icewater Seafoods in Arnold’s Cove, says last year’s reassessment — the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in reviewing historical data, moved cod from the “critical” zone to the “cautious” zone — could signal the potential for a limited commercial harvest. “We’re hoping now with more confidence in the stock we would see a reopening of a commercial cod fishery,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:48

Arnold’s Cove company investing $10M in high-tech plant

The president and CEO of Icewater Seafoods in Arnold’s Cove wants more cod.,, He said his company is investing $10 million over three years to buy the latest cod-processing technology, and claims Icewater is the only North American processor dedicated full-time to Atlantic cod production. Seventy-five per cent of the $10 million is coming in the form of conditionally repayable loans from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Atlantic Fisheries Fund. >click to read< 09:56

Disappointed by cut to cod quota, FFAW president says stocks can handle larger harvest

The president of Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest fishermen’s union says the province’s cod stocks can handle a greater harvest and didn’t need to see this year’s commercial quota cut. Keith Sullivan of the Fish, Food & Allied Workers’ Union told CBC Radio’s The Broadcast that the 25 per cent cut to this year’s quota will hurt Newfoundland and Labrador communities that are heavily reliant on the fishery. “It doesn’t really take into consideration the livelihoods what people depend on the fishery, whether you’re a fish harvester or you work in a plant or the entire economy of coastal communities,” said Sullivan. >click to read<20:13

For the Love of Cod – the fight over fish stocks may well spell the end of cod fishers—or cod

A hard exhale escapes Sherrylynn Rowe before she can help herself. “It was so disappointing,” she says. A Canadian federal government report, released in March 2018, showed that the number of northern cod of spawning age in the Canadian North Atlantic was down 30 percent from just last year. It was a devastating turn. Northern cod had been fished to near extinction in the early 1990s and it had started to look like they were finally beginning to rebound. But now the population—which had been expected to increase again this year—was shrinking fast, brought on by an unexpectedly high rate of natural deaths. >click to read<07:53

How Newfoundland is grappling with the return of cod fishing

Tony Cobb is seated at his usual table at the Chester Fried Superstop, a roadside gas station and convenience store that serves some of the best fish and chips on Fogo Island.,, His ritual is interrupted every few bites by the coverall-clad fishermen who approach the table after paying for their gas. In baymen’s accents and with hands held chest high, they tell Mr. Cobb, whose new fish business offers the best price for top-quality northern cod in Newfoundland, about the huge, gleaming fish they’ve been catching. The late fall yields the best cod of the year, from “foxy” reddish ones to black-backed hulks. These are not fish tales, and Mr. Cobb is happy to banter. But when the fishermen turn away, his eyes darken: His mind has wandered out of the diner and into the bleak murk of fishery politics. click here to read the story 14:06

Steady and sustainable cod fishery needed to supply demand

Other than Icewater Seafoods, in Arnold’s Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador isn’t well positioned for large-scale cod processing. And Icewater president – Alberto Wareham – says a sustainable fishery is needed before progress can be made. “Get harvesting right first and processing will follow,” he advises. Wareham’s message followed a series of presentations at the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI) cod conference in Gander on Wednesday, which highlighted how Norway and Iceland have streamlined production through automation,,, click here to read the story 20:51