DFO Reports 2J3KL Spawning Stock Biomass Improves to 48 Per Cent of Limit Reference Point
After a setback last year, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recently reported that the iconic Northern cod stock off Newfoundland appears to be in better shape than initially thought.
The good news is that the spawning biomass (SSB) for 2J3KL cod has returned to its level of two years ago, about 48 per cent of the critical level needed for a healthy fishery or 398,000 tonnes.
In fact, DFO actually revised its 2018 stock projection. The department is now reporting that the 2018 SSB has been revised from 315,000 tonnes to 383,000 tonnes and is anticipated to further increase in 2020.
Last year, the 29 per cent single-year decline in spawning stock biomass led to a catch limit reduction in the 2018 stewardship fishery to 9,500 metric tonnes, a 25 per cent reduction relative to 2017. In fact, total reported landings in 2018 were only 9,269 tonnes compared to 13,452 tonnes in 2017. Catch numbers from the Newfoundland and Labrador recreational fishery were once again unknown as DFO did not implement any sort of tracking or monitoring mechanisms for the 2018 season.
The union representing fish harvesters in the province said it was pleased that DFO had upgraded its stock assessment, confirming “that the Northern cod stock continues to grow, with the lowest fish harvesting rates in history.”
The FFAW-Unifor said fish harvesters experienced an unnecessarily high 25 per cent cut in the 2018 fishery as a result of the 2017 assessment. Unsurprising to fish harvesters, last year’s assertion that there was a significant jump in the natural mortality of cod turned out to be inaccurate. The assessment for 2018, which re-evaluated cod status last year, now refutes the overly pessimistic outlook portrayed in the 2017 assessment, the union said in a press release.
“The Northern cod stock has been on an upward trend for over 13 years now, having grown from 10,000 tons at its lowest in 1995 to 398,000 tonnes today. We are pleased that last year’s fluctuation was found to be no cause for concern and we look forward to continuing to build the industry and prepare for the future,” said Keith Sullivan, FFAW-Unifor President.
The union said the 2J3KL stock is now the third largest cod stock in the world.
“The assessment update indicates that fishing mortality remains very low, averaging 0.02 over the past five years. This means that the catch of this stock from all sources has averaged about 2 per cent of the fishable biomass; lower than any other cod stock in the world. Even within Atlantic Canada, there is no consistent rebuilding plan for cod stocks. The rebuilding plan for 4X5Y cod off the coast of Nova Scotia includes a fishing mortality limit reference of 0.10, five times that of N.L. despite both stocks considered to be in the critical zone.”
“DFO is managing these rebuilding plans independently, with no consistency across the board and with no consideration for the rebuilding plans of other species. As fish harvesters, we have concerns that DFO isn’t looking at the whole picture,” said Basil Goodyear, fish harvester from Lumsden and FFAW-Unifor Inshore Council member.
The union went on to say that if Northern cod is managed responsibly and in collaboration with industry, it has the potential to provide significant opportunity for a sustainable fishery.
“As Northern cod markets rebuild, modest increases in the harvest rates can simultaneously build capacity on land without having any significant impact on the growth of the stock. As it stands, the way DFO is managing this fishery will leave the inshore harvesters and coastal communities shut out of the fishery of the future,” said Sullivan.
Speaking of industry, the group that represents year-round groundfish processors and harvesters across Atlantic Canada said it is encouraged by the recent Northern cod (2J3KL) stock assessment update from DFO, but is urging caution at the same time.
“The Atlantic Groundfish Council (AGC) has maintained an unwavering commitment to the return of a strong and sustainable Northern cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Kris Vascotto, executive director.
“The 2019 assessment places the stock just shy of the halfway point of meeting the minimum standard for the return of a commercial fishery. That is welcomed news for all.”
The AGC said the bright spot in the 2019 assessment is that the spawning stock biomass (i.e., quantity of fish at reproductive age) is estimated to be at 48 per cent of the limit reference point (LRP) — the level at which the stock is considered healthy enough to support a full commercial fishery.
“DFO must ensure that the recovery is sustainable before increasing the catch significantly.”
“After the Northern cod moratorium in 1992, the stock showed promising signs of rebuilding in the late 90s. However, intense pressure from the FFAW led to the fishery being increased, with far too many fish being taken out of the water. As a result, the stock collapsed a second time and the fishery was shut down in 2003. The Atlantic Groundfish Council and its members, including Alberto Wareham, President and CEO of Icewater Seafoods in Arnold’s Cove, N.L., hope the lesson has been learned on the consequences of aggressive catch increases of a stock still in recovery,” AGC stated in a press release.
“My view in 2019 is the same as it was in 2018, in 2017 and every other year; we need to focus on the long term, to be cautious and to go-slow in our approach towards a sustainable recovery,” Wareham urges.
The Icewater Seafoods plant and its 210 employees rely solely on cod, yet the company continues to encourage a conservative approach to fisheries management.
“While we should be optimistic and continue to invest in the future of cod in Newfoundland and Labrador, we need to do it right.”
Ocean Choice President Blaine Sullivan, agreed, “Reaching 48 per cent of the limit reference point is great news, but we need to be patient enough to reach a full and sustainable recovery.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council (NL-GIDC) also said it is pleased that the 2J3KL cod stock is continuing to grow.
Formed in 2016, the NL-GIDC has quickly become a major player in formulating a strategy for re-establishing a commercial cod fishery in the province. The organization is made up of processors, harvesters and government officials.
Paul Grant, executive vice president of Beothic Fish Processors Limited, said, “This is good news for the fishing industry in this province as we work together with fish harvesters and DFO to rebuild this important resource.”
Karl Sullivan, executive vice president of the Barry Group explained, “It is obvious that the low level of the fishing mortality in the past number of years has contributed to the good news we have heard today.”
“Northern cod, if managed responsibly and collaboratively, represents a significant opportunity for a viable and sustainable fishery of the future. As fish harvesters, we are very pleased to see that the cod stock is continuing to grow and that harvesting levels are having no meaningful impact on that growth,” said Nancy Bowers, fish harvester and deputy-Mayor of Beachside.
The GIDC said it is now preparing for the 2019 management meeting for the 2J3KL Cod Stock that will occur later this spring.
This year’s price for cod has not yet been determine by the Newfoundland and Labrador Standing Fish Price Setting Panel. Last year, the panel announced that cod prices for 2018–2019 would remain the same as 2017–2018.
Prices per pound were:
Summer:
Grade A: $0.75
Grade B: $0.38
Grade C: $0.20
Fall (effective July 29, 2018)
Grade A: $0.83
Grade B: $0.40
Grade C: $0.20
