2020 Grade ‘A’ Price Down $0.10/Pound
While the overall catch limit for the 2020 Northern cod stewardship fishery (12,350 tonnes) will be staying the same as last year, harvesters will not be getting the same price as they did in 2019.
In its recent decision, the Newfoundland and Labrador Standing Fish Price Setting Panel selected the position of the Association of Seafood Processors (ASP), meaning that the 2020 late summer/fall price will be $0.80/pound for grade ‘A’ cod and the spring/early summer price will be $0.73/pound. The price change for early summer to late summer occurred on August 2. The prices for grade ‘B’ ($0.40/pound) and ‘C’ cod ($0.20/pound) remained the same as the 2019 late summer/fall prices.
The FFAW-Unifor, which represented harvesters at the Panel, had been looking for a nine per cent increase in price (i.e. grade ‘A’ price from $0.90 per pound in 2019 to $0.98 per pound in 2020).
“This decision is a further move away from fairness in the pricing of cod. Since 2014, the cod market has increased significantly, while harvester prices have been stagnant with decisions by the price setting panel not sharing the increased market value. The ASP position moved cod prices back below the levels of 2014, which does not reflect any prediction of the cod market in 2020. The FFAW has stressed that concerns over COVID-19 cannot be used to ignore fairness in the setting of fish prices in 2020. This is yet another example of pandemic pricing in the fishery favouring corporate interests over fish harvesters, communities and regions,” the union stated in response to the pricing decision.
Along with the lower price, the FFAW was also critical of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) 2020 conservation harvesting plan (CHP) for the 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery, that was released in late July.
“Inshore fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador are calling for a meeting with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Bernadette Jordan, to discuss the department’s pattern of ignoring input from fish harvesters in management decisions following the release of the 2J3KL harvesting plan for Northern cod,” the union stated in a press release.
“While we expect delays due to the global pandemic, time and time again this summer we have seen not only delays from DFO but also a blatant disregard for harvester input,” says FFAW Unifor Keith Sullivan. “Harvesters have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and have already experienced substantial losses this year. DFO’s management of this and other species will undoubtedly intensify that,” he adds.
Unlike the union criticism of the 2020 harvesting plan, the Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council (NL-GIDC) said, for the most part, that it supports the management measures for the 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery. The NL-GIDC is an association that represents the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor), as well as a number of inshore processors operating in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Many of the measures announced were those proposed to DFO by the NL-GIDC, with a few noted exceptions. The season opening dates are one week later than proposed, mainly due to the late timing of the allowable harvest level announced on July 7, 2020 followed by a further delayed harvest plan. Industry representatives implore DFO to provide earlier announcement dates in the future as these delays have negatively impacted both harvesters and plants. The NL-GIDC was surprised to see the management measures for the 2J portion of the 2J3KL management area. The 2J3KL cod stock is managed as a single management unit, yet DFO announced that the 2J portion of the area will have harvest limits that are significantly different from the 3KL division without any adjustment to the total allowable catch,” the group explained in a press release.
“Providing a management approach that is acceptable to harvesters from all areas is a difficult endeavour. While we understand the specific problems facing the harvesters and processors operating in Division 2J, we are concerned that the large discrepancy between the 2J and 3KL measures will create a challenging precedent,” said Paul Grant, the executive vice-president of Beothic Fish Processors Limited and NL-GIDC member.
The 2019 harvesting total was a 30 per cent increase relative to 2018. In 2018, a 29 per cent single-year decline in spawning stock biomass lead to a catch limit reduction in the 2018 stewardship fishery to 9,500 metric tonnes, a 25 per cent reduction relative to 2017.
2020 conservation harvesting plan (CHP) — 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery
Eligibility
- Participation in the 2020 NAFO Divisions 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery will be restricted to groundfish license holders with a homeport in NAFO Divisions 2J3KL and the 4R overlap area defined as North Boat Harbour to Cape Bauld.
- Groundfish license holders in NAFO Divisions 3KL will have the option to either participate in this fishery, or to exercise their fishing privileges in NAFO sub-Division 3Ps, but not both.
- When both 4R and 2J3KL fisheries are open, groundfish license holders in NAFO Division 4R overlap area (North Boat Harbour to Cape Bauld), will have the option in a single week to either participate in the 2J3KL stewardship fishery, or to exercise their fishing privileges in NAFO Division 4R, but not both.
Fishing restrictions
- NAFO Division 4R license holders that opt to participate in this fishery are authorized to fish only in the portion of NAFO Division 3K defined as North of 51 degrees 18 minutes North (Cape Bauld to Lobster Point) and fishing is not permitted in the waters outside Canada’s Territorial Sea (the 12-mile limit).
- The weekly catch limitations identified below assume that a license holder will fish in the same NAFO area as their homeport. 2J-based license holders will receive license conditions with catch limitations for fishing within 2J. If a 2J-based license holder wants to fish in 3KL, they must contact the Department to receive license conditions with catch limitations for 3KL. If a 3KL-based license holder wants to fish in 2J, they must contact the Department to receive license conditions with catch limitations for 2J.
- Once a license holder has commenced fishing, they will not be permitted to change their area of fishing for the remainder of that calendar year. A license holder will be permitted one (1) request to change their fishing area (i.e. 2J to 3KL or 3KL to 2J) once per calendar year.
Catch limitations
- The maximum authorized harvest for the 2020 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery (including the cod quality project) is 12,350 tonnes (round weight).
- For the purposes of the 2020 NAFO Divisions 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery, a fishing week shall be defined as “fishing week will start at 00:01 local time on Sunday and end on 24:00 local time on the following Saturday.”
- For the purposes of the 2020 NAFO Divisions 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery, a bi-weekly fishing period shall be defined as “bi-weekly fishing period will start at 00:01 local time on a Sunday and run consecutively for 14 days to which it will then end at 24:00 local time on the second Saturday.”
- In NAFO division 2J, the following 2020 bi-weekly authorized catch limits for cod apply:
- August 2 – August 15, 2020: 25,000 pounds/ bi-weekly
- August 16 – August 29, 2020: 25,000 pounds/bi-weekly
- August 30 – September 12, 2020: 25,000 pounds bi-weekly
- September 13 – September 26, 2020: 25,000 pounds/bi-weekly
- In NAFO divisions 3KL, the following 2020 base weekly authorized catch limits for cod apply:
- o August 9 – August 29: 2,300 pounds/week
- o August 30 – September 19: 3,300 pounds/week
- o September 20 – November 14: 3,850 pounds/week
- Fall-only fishery options (applicable to NAFO Divisions 3KL only):
- o To promote the distribution of catch throughout the season in 2020, harvesters will have the option of fishing the entire season at the weekly catch limits identified above, or they may opt to fish only during the fall from September 20 to November 14, 2020.
- o Fish harvesters that choose the fall-only fishery option will not be able to fish prior to September 20 and may choose one of these two options:
- Option 1: Fish only during the fall from September 20 to November 14, 2020 with a base weekly limit of 7,700 pounds.
- Option 2: Fish only during the fall from September 20 to November 14, 2020 with a base bi-weekly limit of 15,400 pounds which must be harvested outside Canada’s Territorial Sea (the 12-mile limit) as per Section 4(a) of the Oceans Act. For harvesters selecting option 2, a DFO approved vessel monitoring system (VMS) is required and must be operational at all times.
Fishing gear
- The use of gillnets, longline, hand-line and cod pots will be authorized as per the 2020 2J3KL stewardship cod license conditions. Harvesters are to exercise caution when setting gear to ensure that weekly limits are not exceeded.
- Gear limits are highlighted below and are also identified in the 2020 2J3KL stewardship license conditions.
- Harvesters shall not leave fishing gear unattended in the water for more than 72 consecutive hours.
- If harvesters have concerns with respect to safety, they are advised to contact their local DFO Conservation and Protection detachment.
Gillnets
NAFO Division 2J
- The maximum authorized number of nets onboard the vessel or in the water at any one time is as follows:
- Authorized catch limit greater than 12,500 pounds up to and including 25,000 pounds = 20 nets
- Authorized catch limit greater than 25,000 pounds = 30 nets.
NAFO Division 3KL
- Up to and including September 19, the maximum authorized number of nets onboard the vessel or in the water at any one time is six.
- Commencing September 20, the maximum authorized number of nets onboard the vessel or in the water at any one time is as follows:
- Authorized catch limit up to and including 3,850 pounds = six nets
- Authorized catch limit greater than 3,850 pounds up to and including 7,700 pounds = nine nets
- Authorized catch limit greater than 7,700 pounds up to and including 15,400 pounds = 12 nets
- Authorized catch limit greater than 15,400 pounds up to and including 25,000 pounds = 20 nets.
- Authorized catch limits greater than 25,000 pounds = 30 nets
Longline
- Harvesters are only authorized to have a maximum of 10,000 hooks onboard the vessel or in the water at any one time.
Licensing policy
Buddy-up
There will be no buddy-up arrangements in this fishery. Having no buddy-up is consistent with the Department’s initial plan to open a stewardship fishery and allow individual license holders to test their beliefs of the cod stock. Also, under a management regime with no buddy-up, the Department can allocate a higher individual harvest level whereas, under a buddy-up model, it would have to be lower due to a higher activity rate. Finally, the current management regime is consistent with the owner/operator policy. NAFO Division 4R overlap license holders that participate in this fishery are not able to avail of buddy-up while fishing 2J3KL stewardship cod.
Vessel leasing
The existing vessel leasing policy will be applied. Under this policy, your current vessel must have been previously active to qualify for a lease arrangement. Leasing is only permitted in cases of mechanical breakdown/structural damage, or complete vessel loss. Proper documentation is required.
Substitute operators
There will be no substitute operators (designations) granted for this fishery. However, the Department will consider medical situations on a case-by-case basis.
Small fish protocol
The minimum size for cod is 45 cm (18 in). Areas will be closely monitored and will be closed to fishing when the number of cod <45cm long caught exceeds 15 per cent of the total number of cod caught.
