Management of the Northern Cod Fishery: A Guide to Information Sources
Click here for Chronology of Key Events (1976-2016)
| March 10, 2017 | DFO announces the $325 million Atlantic Fisheries Fund with about $100 million intended for Newfoundland and Labrador. The funding is an increase of the $280 million dollars originally promised to offset the impact of the removal of minimum processing requirements negotiated as part of CETA, or the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement with the European Union. MP Judy Foote says the fund will help the industry be internationally competitive, spur innovation and provide access to and development of new markets. |
| March 20, 2017 | The House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans releases a report NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR’S NORTHERN COD FISHERY: CHARTING A NEW SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. The Committee calls on DFO to immediately create a plan, which would restrict fishing of northern cod until the stock leaves the critical zone, and manage availability of prey like capelin. It recommends that DFO perform yearly stock assessments of both codfish and capelin in zones 2J3KL and calls on DFO to lead an initiative to gather fishery data from the FFAW and the provincial government. |
| March 27, 2017 |
DFO provides an update on the northern cod stock in 2J3KL. Its biomass grew by 7 per cent from 2015 to 2016 but still remains in the critical zone and is still years away from reaching the 1980s benchmark that preceded the northern cod moratorium 25 years ago. Despite DFO’s warnings that fishing should be kept to “the lowest possible levels”, David Decker of the FFAW-Unifor calls for significant increases in quotas to help communities transition from shellfish and northern shrimp to rebuild a groundfish fishery. |
| April 19, 2017 | DFO announces that it will commence full stock assessments in 2J3KL beginning in winter 2018 and continuing for the next five years. These assessments will enhance “understanding of Northern cod stocks and better inform management decisions, which could ultimately benefit fishers and communities who use this iconic resource”. |
| May 19, 2017 | DFO announces the dates for the 2017 recreational food fishery: July 15 to August 6 and Sept. 23 to Oct. 1st as well as all weekends in July and August, including the Canada Day and Labour Day long weekends. There will be no license and tag regime as suggested in 2016. |
| May 23, 2017 | DFO announces that the 3Ps area would be open to inshore and mid-shore fixed gear fleets but does not mention the offshore fleet. |
| May 26, 2017 | DFO releases the groundfish management plan which increases the quota for northern cod, extends the season (June 12 to Nov. 30) and eliminates the 12-mile limit. The 2017 Northern Cod Stewardship / By-catch Fishery 2J3KL management approach is based on the proposal put forth by the Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council (NLGIDC). |
| July 2, 2017 |
The cod moratorium is twenty-five years old. |
| July 31, 2017 |
Gerry Byrne is appointed Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources. |
| October 25, 2017 |
The Groundfish Industry Development Council gathers in St. John’s to settle on a strategic plan and prioritize concerns. Minister Byrne pushes for inclusion of the adjacency principle in fisheries resource allocation decisions. |
| November 10, 2017 |
DFO announces that the south coast (3Ps) fishery is closing to inshore fishermen on November 15 but the fishery is opening November 11 to offshore vessels. The FFAW says the cod stock in the 3Ps zone is too fragile to handle the pressure from the offshore vessels. FISH-NL argues against the decision as well. |
| November 28-29, 2017 | A conference “Cod – Building the Fishery of the Future” is held in Gander with more than 200 cod harvesters, processors and industry experts attending. It is organized by the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation, Memorial University. |
| January 16-25, 2018 | DFO hosts outreach/public discussion forums throughout the province: St. Anthony, Baie Verte, Twillingate, Hare Bay, Fogo Island, Shearstown, Southern Shore and south coast of Labrador. |
| February 6, 2018 | Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlance announces $284.2 million to support the restoration of protections to fish and fish habitats and to incorporate new modern safeguards in the industry. He introduces amendments to the Fisheries Act that he says will restore lost protections under the Stephen Harper’s Conservative government by returning to comprehensive protection against harming all fish and fish habitats. |
| March 23, 2018 |
DFO releases a cod stock assessment that shows that northern cod stocks, projected in 2016 to be on the rebound, have fallen about 30 per cent from 2017 to 2018 and remains in the critical zone. Scientists urge minimal fishing effort. |
| April 18, 2018 | In its proposal to DFO’s management plan, the Association of Seafood Producers includes a recommendation to halt the food fishery as very little is known about how many fish are removed from the water. |
| June 12, 2018 | DFO announces that the recreational groundfish fishery will be open for 39 days in 2018 (down from 46 days in 2017): every weekend, Saturday through Monday, from June 30 through to Sept. 3. The fall season will be nine days, from Sept. 22 to Sept. 30. Fishers are limited to five groundfish per day, including cod, with a maximum boat limit of 15. Tour boat operators are eligible to apply for an increased trip limit. There are no requirements for licenses or tags. |
| June 13, 2018 | DFO sets the Total Allowable Catch at 9,500 tonnes, a reduction of 25 per cent over 2017. |
| July 4, 2018 | The provincial government announces funding ($2.5 million) through the Labour Market Development Agreement to support plant workers in the province impacted by the downturn in the fishing industry. |
| July 18, 2018 | Jonathan Wilkinson becomes the Minister of the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. |
| October 23, 2018 |
DFO releases the cod stock assessment of fishing zone 3Ps. The cod stock has increased slightly since 2015 but remains in the cautious zone. The total mortality is still high, and if that continues to be the case, the spawning stock biomass could move from the cautious zone to the critical zone in the next few years. The TAC for 3Ps for 2018 is 5,980 metric tonnes, 933 metric tonnes of which goes to France for St. Pierre. |
| January 11, 2019 | Federal and provincial governments announce that $18 million from the Atlantic Fisheries Fund will go into the province’s fishery with $8.8 million of it going into science and research. |
| January 29, 2019 |
DFO says that the cod recovery is still far off according to the key measure for cod stocks: the limit reference point (LRP). The LRP is the point where the amount of cod goes from the critical zone to the cautious zone, which would indicate an improvement in cod stocks and the potential return of the cod fishery. The current LRP was set in 2010 and measured a biomass of 851,000 tonnes of spawning cod. The number is based on the average amount of spawning biomass during the 1980s. In 2018, the spawning biomass was only at 37 per cent, keeping the cod stocks in the critical zone. |
| February 9, 2019 | FISH-NL calls for the resurrection of the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council (FRCC) which was formed in 1993 and eventually disbanded under the Harper administration in 2011. Ryan Cleary says the FRCC helped bridge the gap between fishermen and scientists, particularly on issues regarding the state of northern cod. |
| April 2, 2019 |
DFO releases a report that says the spawning stock biomass for northern cod was higher than predicted last year and is currently assessed at 48 per cent of the limit reference point, meaning it is about halfway out of the critical zone. |
| May 23, 2019 | DFO announces the dates for the 2020 recreational food fishery: all weekends starting June 29 and ending Sept. 2 with nine days in the fall, September 21-29. The fishery will be open a total of 39 days, with no licenses or tags. |
| May 23, 2019 |
Oceana Canada releases OCEANS OF OPPORTUNITY: THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR REBUILDING NORTHERN COD that projects that within 11 years, under favourable environmental conditions and low fishing pressure, a rebuilt northern cod fishery could support 26,000 jobs – 16 times more than today. Economic activity could reach $233 million, up from its current level of $33 million. |
| June 2019 |
Dr. George Rose publishes a research paper called THE STATE OF CANADA’S ICONIC NORTHERN COD: A SECOND OPINION which challenges DFO’s current model for estimating the size of the northern cod stock. |
| June 21, 2019 |
FISHERIES ACT, Bill C-68 is passed. |
| June 24, 2019 | DFO sets the annual quota at 12,350 tonnes, a 30 per cent increase from the previous year but not as high as requested by NL-GIDC. |
| July 2, 2019 | The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology and Innovation (NATI) and the Offshore Fishery Association hold a panel discussion on “Building an Innovative Fishery for the Future”. |
| July 12, 2019 | FISH-NL calls for immediate halt to all fishing for northern cod, outside of the stewardship fishery, in light of the Rose article. |
| July 19, 2019 | Canada joins global pact to stop illegal fishing trade, which is called the Port State Measures Agreement. |
| August 14, 2019 | DFO announces the establishment of a Task Team on Atlantic Seal Science co-chaired by a DFO official and Glenn Blackwood, the vice-president of Memorial University for the Fisheries and Marine Institute. |
| August 28, 2019 | DFO announces a $8.3 million fund to help rid Canadian waters of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear. |
| November 13, 2019 |
Oceana Canada releases its 3rd report card FISHERY AUDIT 2019 and flags a decline in the number of healthy fish stocks over the last 2 years. |
| November 20, 2019 |
Bernadette Jordan becomes Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. |
| November 30, 2019 | In a news release, the FFAW says that fish harvesters on the province’s south coast are calling on the federal government to immediately remove offshore trawlers from fishing zone 3Ps, as well as take action on seal predation to protect the struggling south coast cod stocks. |
| January 8, 2020 | A new assessment of cod in the 3Ps zone shows the stock is in the critical zone. DFO says the natural mortality of the fish caused by predators and changes to the environment is around three times that of fishing mortality. |
| January 9, 2020 | The Atlantic Groundfish Council questions the science presented by DFO and says the new assessment model is overly pessimistic and understates important data collected by the department’s own research vessel survey. |
| April 9, 2020 | DFO announces that no commercial inshore fishery will open before May 1, as COVID-19 protocols are being developed. |
| July 26, 2020 | DFO announces opening dates for the commercial fishery on the northeast coast: August 2nd – September 26th in Zone 2J and August 9th – November 14th in Zone 3KL. |
| December 21, 2020 |
DFO releases its REBUILDING PLAN FOR ATLANTIC COD – NAFO DIVISIONS 2J3KL which presents its objectives to boost fish numbers and the management techniques it intends to use to measure any progress starting in 2021. |
| March 22, 2021 |
Jeffrey A. Hutchings, George A. Rose and Peter A. Shelton describe the DFO plan as riddled with weaknesses from a science and policy perspective that it is unclear whether it will help or hinder the recovery of Northern cod. |
| April 3, 2021 | DFO cuts the TAC for 3Ps to 1,346 metric tonnes, a 50 percent reduction from 2020. |
| June 1, 2021 | DFO announces a small quota increase for northern cod, from 12,350 metric tonnes to 12,999 metric tonnes and a recreational cod fishery every weekend from July 3rd until September 6th, and for a full week from September 25th to October 3rd. |
| June 28, 2001 |
In 2021, the recreational groundfish fishery will be open for a total of 39 days – on weekends from July 3rd to September 6th and during the week of September 23rd to October 3rd. |
| October 26, 2021 | Joyce Murray becomes the new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. |
| November 16, 2021 |
Oceana Canada releases its FISHERY AUDIT 2021 and states that DFO has not crafted any regulations to enforce rebuilding of depleted fish stocks as committed in its plan for rebuilding Atlantic cod. |
| November 20, 2021 | DFO’s assessment states that the 3Ps cod will remain in the critical zone until 2024 at the earliest. The TAC will be 1,346 metric tonnes, half the 2020 level, with about 1,200 tonnes for Canada. |
| January 2022 |
George Rose and Sherrylynn Rowe publish a study that uses findings from scientific publications going back to the 1920s to outline historical northern cod spawning areas off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador: CONGRUENCE OF STOCK PRODUCTION AND ASSESSMENT AREAS? AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON CANADA’S ICONIC NORTHERN COD |
| February 19, 2022 | DFO is launching a series of consultations with fish harvesters later in February on potential changes to maximum vessel length. |
| February 22, 2022 | FFAW-Unifor calls on the federal government to study and address the impact of seals on fish in Atlantic Canada. |
| March 16, 2022 | DFO cancels the northern cod stock assessment for 2022 due to unforeseen mechanical issues with research vessels, and turbulent weather conditions. A decision for the northern cod fishery will be based on available science from the 2021 stock assessment and consultations through the advisory process factoring in socio-economic considerations and current fisheries policy. |
| April 6, 2022 | DFO says that Canada and France have agreed to maintain the current quota for cod fishing at 1,346 metric tonnes for the 2022-23 season. |
| May 11, 2022 |
DFO releases the report of the Atlantic Seal Science Task Team. The report provides recommendations on areas of focus for Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Atlantic seal science, opportunities to increase fishing industry involvement in seal science projects, and ways the Department could better communicate science findings to the fishing industry. The report also comments on the management of Atlantic seal populations and encourages the development of new opportunities and markets. |
| June 20, 2022 |
DFO advises that in 2022, the recreational groundfish fishery will be open for a total of 39 days – on weekends from July 2nd to September 5th and during the week of September 24th to October 2nd. |
| July 2, 2022 | The cod moratorium is thirty years old. |
| July 4, 2022 | DFO announces that there will not be a commercial cod fishery in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence for the year to help keep the stocks from descending further into the critical zone. The recreational food fishery and the sentinel science-based fishery will proceed. |
| November 22, 2022 |
Oceana Canada’s latest audit says DFO is not properly counting fish and does not have rebuilding plans for most depleted stocks. |
| February 19, 2023 | DFO says a full stock assessment will not be done on northern cod and shrimp again this year due to decommissioning of the research vessel CCGS Alfred Needler after 40 years in service. |
| March 9, 2023 |
The Report from the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans SCIENCE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS is released. The Chair of the Committee is Newfoundland and Labrador MP Ken McDonald. |
| March 15, 2023 | DFO announces a first-ever limit reference point (LRP) for capelin along the east and northeast coast of Newfoundland and capelin are now considered to be in the critical zone. |
| May 27, 2023 | The Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council (NLGIDC) wants DFO to allow a harvest of 17,000 tonnes, or more, of northern cod from the stewardship fishery in zones 2J3KL, along the northeast coast of the province. In 2021, the TAC was 12,999 tonnes. |
| June 20, 2023 |
DFO advises that in 2023, the recreational groundfish fishery will be open for a total of 39 days – on weekends from July 1st to September 4th and during the week of September 23rd to October 1st. |
| July 26, 2023 | Diane Lebouthillier is appointed as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. |
| October 16, 2023 |
DFO conducts a review of the model used to assess the 2J3KL northern cod stock and adopts a series of changes the federal department says improve the understanding of past trends in the stock and the relationship between adult and young cod. The new model and LRP shows that northern cod is no longer in the critical zone and is in the cautious zone. |
| November 20, 2023 |
Oceana Canada’s FISHERY AUDIT reveals, for the seventh year in a row, that “Canada’s fisheries are continuing to decline. There is persistent mismanagement, overfishing of stocks and a failure to rebuild depleted populations despite growing urgency and government commitments to act.” |
| March 26, 2024 |
DFO provides a technical briefing on the northern cod stock assessment. The stock remains in the cautious zone and is doing slightly better than in October’s review. |
| June 21, 2024 |
DFO advises that in 2024, the recreational groundfish fishery will be open for a total of 39 days – on weekends from June 29th to September 2nd and during the week of September 21st to 29th. Recreational fishers are limited to five (5) groundfish per day (including Cod). However, the maximum boat limit when three or more people are fishing is 15 groundfish. For 2024, tour boat operators will be eligible to apply for a licence to seek an increased trip limit. |
| June 26, 2024 |
DFO Minister Diane Lebouthillier announces decision to end the northern cod moratorium. “This historic decision re-establishes a commercial Northern cod fishery in NAFO Divisions 2J3KL with a Canadian Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 18,000 tonnes for the 2024 season. The inshore fleet sector will receive approximately eighty-four percent of the TAC, with twenty percent of this inshore sector allocation provided to 2J-based harvesters and six percent of the TAC is allocated to the Canadian offshore fleet.” |
| July 21, 2024 | The new commercial fishery starts off the coast of Labrador. |
| July 25, 2024 | The FFAW-Unifor files an application with the Federal Court of Canada, asking for a judicial review of the Federal Minister’s decision to re-open the commercial cod fishery. It cites that it violates a long-standing commitment from the federal government to reserve the first 115,000 tonnes of northern cod for the inshore fleet. |
| July 26, 2024 | Premier Furey says the province was not consulted on the federal government’s decision to lift the moratorium. He calls for an immediate discussion on how the two levels of government can structure a joint management approach to the fishery. |
| July 26, 2024 | The FFAW-Unifor files another application requesting an injunction that would suspend the fishery until the judicial review could be decided on. |
| July 28, 2024 | The commercial fishery opens off the northeast coast. |
| August, 2024 | Federal minister Lebouthillier does not allow any discussion about joint management of the cod fishery at the meetings of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers. |
| October 7, 2024 |
First meeting takes place of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans re the Impact of the Reopening of the Cod Fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec. Full Text |
| October 8, 2024 | A federal court rules against the FFAW-Unifor’s attempt to prevent the reopening of the commercial cod fishery. |
| November 5, 2024 | The most recent assessment of 3Ps cod off the south coast shows that the stock remains in the critical zone where it has been since 2000. |
| November 23, 2024 |
Oceana Canada’s 8th FISHERY AUDIT shows a lack of progress in increasing the number of healthy food stocks. |
| February 27, 2025 | Icewater Seafoods, at its fish plant in Arnold’s Cove, processes its first offshore northern cod by Newfoundland and Labrador’s fleet since 1992. |
| March 14, 2025 | Joanne Thompson is appointed Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard of Canada. |
| April 3, 2025 | DFO releases the northern cod stock assessment – the number of fish in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador is about the same as in the past number of years. While the stocks grew from 2010-2016, it has remained steady ever since. |
| June 18, 2025 |
DFO advises that in 2025, the recreational groundfish fishery will be open for a total of 39 days - on weekends from June 28 to Sept. 1st and during the week of September 20-28. Recreational fishers are limited to five (5) groundfish per day (including cod). However, the maximum boat limit when three or more people are fishing is 15 groundfish. For 2025, a new voluntary pilot program is available for Transport Canada certified tour boat operators introducing a tagging system that will allow retention of two fish per passenger per day, seven days a week. |
| June 18, 2025 |
The total allowable catch for northern cod is set at 38,000 tonnes, up from 18,000 last year. DFO says recent scientific data assessments confirm that northern cod has remained stable since 2017, and is at a higher level than previously understood from last year’s assessment. |