The Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council are Disappointed with the Northern Cod Maximum Allowable harvest announced today by DFO

St. John’s, June 27, 2023. The Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council (NLGIDC) are disappointed with the Northern Cod Maximum Allowable Harvest announced today by DFO. The 2023 allowable harvest was set at 12,999 t, a roll-over from the 2021-2022 levels.

“The NLGIDC were hoping for an increase in the harvest level for 2023 based on the extremely successful cod fishery in the 2J3KL area in 2022”, said James Baird, the chair of the NLGIDC. “Weekly harvest rates for the first 4 weeks of this fishery in 2022 all surpassed the highest weekly landings observed in this fishery since 2016”, continued Baird.

“Additionally, the lack of science assessments for Northern cod in 2022 and 2023 continue to hinder the development of this iconic fishery and is a cause of considerable concern for the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry”, said Paul Grant, the Executive Vice-President of Beothic Fish Processors Ltd.

The NLGIDC will now work with our industry partners to develop options for a Conservation Harvesting Plan to submit to DFO to guide management of the cod fishery in 2023.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council is an association comprised of fish harvesters, the FFAW and a number of NL fish processors representing almost 7,000 industry participants.

Contact
Jim Baird, Chair, NLGIDC
[email protected]