WWF/ FFAW Canadian Cod Fishery in NAFO Divisions 2J3KL Pre-assessment

 MSC pre-assessment (document not available)

First MSC  pre-assessment published 

FIP participants identified

FIP participants involved

2018 workplan

2015-2018 workplan with actions, responsibilities and target completion dates published 

2015-2017 workplan with actions, responsibilities and target completion dates

A meeting was held to discuss the Northern Cod Acoustic Tracking (NCAT) project; the project continues to make progress and remains ongoing

The ASP/AGC Northern Cod FIP Working Group met to provide an update on recent FIP actions; the update included a summary of results from a tagging trip held in Spring 2023 as well as a summary of initial genomic and telemetry results. So far, 1.5 million genetic markers for cod have been identified and 300,000 detections have been identified from tagged cod. 

FIP update provided at the April 2022 Barcelona Seafood Expo; to date, 775 cod have been acoustically tagged and 350 have been Floy tagged.

Acoustic tracking project (NCAT) update made available; A vessel deployed in May 2021 conducted spawning aggregation observations and tagged a series of cod, witch flounder and greenland halibut.

Report entitled 'Bycatch Evaluation - 2J3KL Northern Cod', prepared by AGC

The ASP-AGC Northern Cod FIP announced on September 10th, 2019, the official commencement of it's $8.5 Million Northern Cod Acoustic Tracking (NCAT) Project via press release. The project aims to answer critical questions associated with Phase 2 of its research plan.

Improving knowledge and information on bait species

DFO reiterated in the February meeting that the Department is adamant that the harvest control rules are in place to determine the management of the 2018 2J3KL cod stewardship fishery.

The Federal management body for commercial fisheries, adopted the management approach proposed by the NL-Groundfish Industry Development Council (NL-GIDC) to manage the 2018 2K3KL Cod Stewardship fishery. 

DFO is preparing a drafted Integrated FIseries Management Plann (IFMP) for or fisheries in 2J3KL will be available by March 2018 with finalization by March 2019

DFO has established a Northern Cod Rebuilding Group whose goal is to establish the rebuilding objectives and HCRs to guide development of the rebuilding plan.

Stock status (2016) update at the Brussels meeting in April 2017 confirming positive trends 

Research plan developed to inform further assessments of the cod complex 

Cod FIP minutes - Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is working with Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council (GEAC) in the working group

Increase to PI 1.2.2; DFO published and communication management decisions based on two monitoring programs showing efforts to manage effort which remains low 

HDR (defined in the Rebuilding Strategy) was used to define the maximum authorized harvest for 2021 at 12,999t. 

Increase in PI 2.1.3; quantitative information available from the commercial fisheries which land main primary species

Increase in PI 2.1.2; clear defined management measures in place for commercial fishing species as well as requirements for personal use bait harvesting

Increase to PI 1.2.3; improvements made with tagging practice

Increase to PI 1.2.2; HDR defined in December of 2020

Fisheries and Oceans Canada published the harvest strategy in the document "Rebuilding Plan fo Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) NAFO Divisions 2J3KL".  

On 10 December 2019, DFO announced the new Fishery Monitoring Policy to set out the direction for fishery monitoring in Canada’s federally-managed wild capture fisheries and includes 2J3KL cod

In April 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) published the update Groundfish Newfoundland and Labrador Region NAFO Subarea 2 +  Divisions 3KLMNO Integrated Fisheries Management Plan. -  This IFMP provides a common understanding of the basic “rules” for the sustainable management of the fisheries resource." 

Information of fishery impacts on habitats is made available - DFO released a significant publication which provides additional analysis of the fishery overlap and significant benthic areas

In December 2017, DFO announced the formal authorisation of a number of conservation areas in Altantic and Eastern Arc with bottom fishery restrictions providing protection of corals and sponges in those areas 

Evaluation of fishery impact on corals and sponges  - delineates the Significant Benthic Areas, and overlays fishing activity data, providing Ecosystems and Fisheries Management with information to support the identification of Sensitive Benthic Areas.  

Use of new stock assessment model in the recent assessment of Newfoundland cod

New stock assessment developed 

Increase in PI 2.1.1; bait use is well below the threshold for consideration as a primary species

Increase in biomass reported in latest stock assessment report