Canada Atlantic cod (2J3KL) - longline/trawl/gillnet/hook & line

The Canada Atlantic cod (2J3KL) longline, trawl, gillnet and hook & line FIP is led by the Atlantic Groundfish Council (AGC) and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), with major retail funding from Marks & Spencer, Young's Seafood, Sysco France and High Liner Foods; and with in-kind support from Sustainable Fisheries Fund and Atlantic Canadian institutions including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Memorial University, Dalhousie University and Ocean Tracking Network.

The FIP was launched in April 2015 with actions well underway on a number of fronts, assisted by a formal MSC Pre-Assessment that scopes out the challenges to be addressed in order to receive MSC certification. A DFO 2J3KL Cod Recovery Working Group was created in 2012 and includes representatives of all Stakeholders; the development of draft harvest control rules (HCR) is well advanced. An Integrated Fishery Management Plan (IFMP) is under development and should be completed in 2017. Much of the habitat and ecosystem information has already been assembled by FIP Participants, in part as evidence for the MSC certification of other directed fisheries in the same area (2J3KLNO). Coral and sponge concentrations have been identified using DFO’s research vessel surveys and formal peer-review processes.

FIP members continue to advocate a ‘go slow’ precautionary approach to setting catch limits for this recovering stock.  Examples of our public position on this issue can be seen in recent media communications, (see ‘Background on Atlantic Groundfish Council Northern Cod Position_Mar 2019’ under the Additional Supporting Documentation link in the Detail Tab).