Canada Atlantic cod (3Ps) - longline/trawl/gillnet/hook & line

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Overview

The MSC certificate for this fishery was voluntarily suspended by certificate holders in light of recently renewed concerns about stock health resulting from changes in the ecosystem. The Atlantic Groundfish Council (AGC), an industry association for offshore fishery companies in Canada, has subsequently initiated a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) that will be supported by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). This FIP aims to complete an action plan that includes continued compliance with, and reporting on, all conditions associated with the suspended MSC certification and will serve to guide the fishery back to MSC certification as soon as possible. The FIP action plan will include improving the stock assessment model, gaining insight into the ecosystem drivers and exploring the role of discrete components in supporting the overall stock complex.

FIP Description 

The MSC certificate for this fishery was voluntarily suspended by certificate holders in light of recently renewed concerns about stock health resulting from changes in the ecosystem.

FIP Objective(s) 

The overall objective for this FIP is successful MSC re-certification of the fishery after improving aspects of fishery science and management. Remaining FIP objectives now expected to be achieved by April 2024 are:

  • Manage stock rebuilding until it is highly likely the stock is above the LRP.

  • Revise existing rebuilding plan and develop stock projection capability to confirm stock rebuilding time.

  • Improve the harvest strategy for the stock to effectively respond to the state of the stock.

  • Revise and test harvest control rules that are robust to main uncertainties.

  • Continue improvements identified in initial MSC certification conditions.

FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
May 2017
April 2024
Update 
Projected end dates modified to reflect ongoing Rebuilding plan development timeline noting DFO has committed to completing rebuilding plan for 3Ps cod, endorsed by both Canada and France to inform the 2023-24 management decision.
Next Progress Report Due 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Species 
Common Name 
Atlantic Cod
Scientific Name
Gadus morhua
Gear Type 
Bottom Longline
Bottom Trawl
Gillnet
Hook & Line
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 21 (Atlantic, Northwest)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Canada
Geographic Scope 
Canada has 84.4% of the 3Ps cod TAC off southern Newfoundland
Country 
France
Geographic Scope 
France has 15.6% of the 3Ps cod TAC around St. Pierre and Miquelon
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
1,118 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
1,340 metric tons
Landings Date 
April 2023
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
May 01, 2017
7% 29% 64%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

A Advanced Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Feb 2024
Target End Date
Apr 2024

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Atlantic Groundfish Council
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Steve Devitt
Phone 
(902) 497-4586
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
7465