In a meeting with Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) managers and scientists in Clarenville in December the recovery of cod stock has been announced that gives the Bonavista fisherman reason to be optimistic. It is also informed that even the scientists are saying that the cod biomass is increasing. It seems like they’re on our side. Len Knight, DFO’s regional manager for Newfoundland and Labrador, says meetings were held in Blaketown and Clarenville.
The DFO has given fishers from the 3L zone the information on the results of the stewardship fishery, and also provided an opportunity for fishers and scientists to share data and everyday evidence on cod. The department said that it is an extra bit of information in conjunction with the sentinel cod fishery program. It is also explained that when the previous minister announced the stewardship fishery he said it was to allow fishers to ‘test their belief’ in the health of the resource.
The meetings gave everyone, fishers and DFO, a chance to hash out the evidence from this summer’s fishery. It is told that there’s no dispute that Bonavista and Trinity Bay have long been the bright spot for cod on the north east coast. Scientist Dr. George Rose discovered an abundant biomass of cod in Smith’s Sound, Trinity Bay, in 1996. Since then, fisherman from Bonavista and Trinity Bays have been seeing things on the water that convince them the cod are doing alright in these areas.
