The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) has laid out its recommendations for the 2025 Northern Cod fishery, pushing for Minister Joanne Thompson to prioritise fairness, sustainability, and the economic well-being of Newfoundland and Labrador’s inshore fishers and communities.
‘Minister Thompson’s decision on the 2025 northern cod fishery will set the tone for her leadership over this vital industry. We hope the Minister will prioritise the coastal communities of the province she was elected to represent by ensuring that decisions reinforce past promises and prioritise the economic sustainability of the owner-operator fishery,’ said FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street.
‘Previous decisions on the northern cod fishery have fractured relationships and extinguished trust in federal fisheries management. We hope Minister Thompson will set the tone for a new era of collaborative fisheries management decisions.’
Based on the robust 2024 catch rates, a 15% increase in spawning stock biomass (from 444,000t to 524,000t), and the stock’s position near the healthy zone (approximately two times the Limit Reference Point), the FFAW-Unifor Cod Working Group wants to see a 2025 inshore allocation of 35,000 tonnes, with 30,000 tonnes allocated for 2J3KL – which is sees as balancing the stock’s capacity to sustain higher harvests with the inshore fishery’s ability to support rural economies.
The union is applying pressure for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to honour a longstanding commitment to allocate the first 115,000 tonnes of directed Canadian access to inshore harvesters and Indigenous groups in Newfoundland and Labrador.
According to FFAW-Unifor, the 2024 decision to reintroduce Canadian offshore draggers (>100 ft) and international fleets, despite a TAC of only 19,000 tonnes, undermined this commitment and jeopardised stock’s recovery.
FFAW-Unifor is looking for for a timely 2025 management decision to allow sufficient time for stakeholders to develop recommendations for the Conservation Harvesting Plan.
‘Our Union is seeking an urgent in-person meeting with Minister Thompson and senior DFO officials to discuss why this proposal must be given the utmost priority when making decisions for the 2025 northern cod fishery,’ Dwan Street said.
