The Honourable Derrick Bragg, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, is disappointed that the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization division 3Pn4RS Commercial Northern Gulf Cod stock remains in the critical zone, leading to the Federal Government’s decision to close the fishery.
The effective and sustainable management of Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing industry continues to be a top priority for the Provincial Government. The fishing industry is vital to our economy, and this closure will impact harvesters who fish this stock.
The results of the Federal Government’s stock assessment show that the Northern Gulf Cod stock remains at the low end of the critical zone under the Precautionary Approach Framework. Any fisheries stock in the critical zone such as this one requires Fisheries and Oceans Canada under federal legislation to manage it appropriately until the stock improves to a sustainable level. We have continued to maintain that, in order to best manage this stock, it is vital that we have the best scientific data available; this will ensure that any management decisions for this species are grounded in fact-based, reliable science.
Our government is concerned by the high rate of mortality occurring in this stock due to natural causes, such as predation from seals. We were pleased to see the recent release of the report from the Atlantic Seal Science Task Team. This team was made up of governments, organizations, and members of industry to make recommendations to the Federal Government regarding seal science priorities.
We are actively encouraging the development of new products and markets for seals. For example, we have invested $774,000 over three years to join other stakeholders in a recent campaign to develop markets for seal products.
I anticipate that, at the upcoming fall Seal Summit being hosted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, all stakeholders will have an opportunity to work together and to identify solutions to address the seal population.
Source : GOV.NL.CA