Canada announces return of commercial Northern cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador

Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, has confirmed the end of the Northern cod moratorium off the north and east coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. This 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 84 per cent of the TAC. Twenty per cent of this inshore sector allocation will be provided to 2J-based harvesters and six per cent of the TAC will be allocated to the Canadian offshore fleet.

This reopening follows last week’s announcement of the Recreational Groundfish Fishery, which was a roll-over from 2023. The 2024 Newfoundland and Labrador Recreational Groundfish Fishery will be open this season for 39 days. It will be open every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from June 29, 2024, up to and including September 2, 2024, and for nine days from Saturday, September 21 to Sunday, September 29, 2024.

Additionally, the department intends to eliminate the catch and release aspect of tour boat operations in the recreational groundfish fishery, and introduce a tagging regime starting in 2025. DFO will consult with tour boat operators in the fall of 2024 as a first step in developing this requirement.