Stocks low, stakes high: Critical state of 3PS cod sparks debate over the role of the offshore sector in fishing vulnerable stock in Canada

The cod stock off Newfoundland’s south coast remains low, but the stakes remain high when it comes to arguments for and against offshore fishing pressure in the area. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) held a technical briefing on the 3PS cod stock on Tuesday, Nov. 5 and its science showed the south coast cod stock remains in the critical zone, where it has been since 2000. The critical zone refers to the stock’s numbers being so low that serious harm is occurring to the stock and fishing is to be kept to the lowest possible level. The assessment Fishing levels are currently considered low, with the assessment recommending a total allowable catch of no more than 1,251 tonnes in 2025. The quota decision will be made at a later date. Natural mortality, after hitting the highest records since 1960 in 2019, has been decreasing in the past five years. The 3PS stock is subject to a rebuilding plan, which aims to promote stock growth out of the critical zone, but the ...