Diane Lebouthillier, the federal minister of fisheries and oceans, is pictured during a visit to St. John's in January. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada)

Federal Fisheries Minister Defies DFO Advice to Reopen Commercial Cod Fishery

CANADA
Thursday, September 12, 2024, 00:00 (GMT + 9)

Increasing Cod Quotas Seen as a 'Political Victory,' According to Briefing Note from Minister's Office

Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier disregarded advice from her department when she decided to reopen the commercial cod fishery off Newfoundland and Labrador in June, according to a report from CBC/Radio-Canada.

A briefing note dated May 9 indicates that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recommended continuing the long-standing moratorium on northern cod based on scientific evidence. However, political advisors in the minister's office argued that reopening the fishery and increasing quotas would be "politically a victory."

Paul Carrigan, a senior policy advisor, noted that DFO staff were concerned about raising quotas and allowing offshore boats back into the fishery, warning this would "increase the stock's risk of decline." The department had proposed maintaining the total allowable catch at 13,000 tonnes — the same level as in 2022 and 2023 — and recommended limiting fishing to inshore harvesters through a stewardship fishery.

"Certainly, this option is based more on scientific advice," the briefing note states, as first reported by allNewfoundlandLabrador.

Minister Stands by Decision Amid Criticism

Lebouthillier declined an interview on Monday with CBC due to travel commitments to British Columbia. However, in a statement to Radio-Canada, she emphasized a cautious yet optimistic approach to revitalizing the fishery, affirming, "I will continue to work closely with the industry, both on the harvesting and processing sides, as well as with the province's various Indigenous communities, to ensure the sustainable development of Newfoundland and Labrador's fisheries sector."

Source: GlobalNationalNews/YouTube

'Politics Trumping Science'

The briefing note reveals that DFO staff presented two additional options to the minister:

• Reopening the fishery with a total allowable catch of 15,000 tonnes, restricted to inshore and Indigenous fish harvesters.
• Reopening with a total allowable catch of 18,000 tonnes, allowing the return of offshore vessels longer than 100 feet.

DFO warned that both options carried a higher risk of the northern cod stock falling back into the "critical zone." Although DFO assessments indicated the cod had been in the "cautious zone" since 2016, there were concerns about stagnating population growth.

Source: GlobalNationalNews/YouTube

Despite these warnings, political considerations seemed to take precedence. The federal Liberal caucus of Newfoundland and Labrador, consisting of the province's six Liberal MPs, supported increasing the quota to 18,000 tonnes, describing it as a "political victory."

On June 26, Lebouthillier announced the reopening of the fishery with a total allowable catch of 18,000 tonnes, aligning with her colleagues' stance.

"I do not believe that DFO science would endorse the minister's policy," said George Rose, a fisheries scientist with four decades of experience studying cod. "There is a long history of politics trumping science in Canadian fisheries, and our fisheries continue to suffer as a result."

Read the full original story here

[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Print