FFAW/CAW President Earle McCurdy expressed the disappointment of the Union over the decision of Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea to maintain northern cod stewardship quotas at the 2009 level. He further said that the Union wants the 3,750 lb. individual quotas of northern cod should be increased in light of increases in biomass reported in DFO stock surveys in recent years.
McCurdy also states that quotas have essentially stagnated despite improvements in the stock. He said the recent designation of cod as “endangered” by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) was clearly a factor in the Minister’s decision.
He said that “totally flies in the face” of the definition of “endangered” in the Species at Risk Act, which gives a mandate to COSEWIC. According to McCurdy COSEWIC is not satisfied with their mandate; they want Gail Shea’s job. He noted that the Minister’s announcement fails to take into account the drastic impact on the northern cod stock of the exploding harp seal population.
