ASP Recommends Halting Food Fishery In Light Of Declining Cod Stocks

[Peter Emberley]

The Association of Seafood Producers is calling for an end of the food fishery in light of declining cod stocks.

The ASP made the recommendation as part of its proposal to DFO’s management plan.

Despite the moratorium, the latest science shows that cod stocks have failed to recover from levels they were when the moratorium was imposed over 20 years ago.

Executive Director of the Seafood Producers, Derek Butler says others are on the same page. He says very little is known about how many fish are removed from the water as a result of the recreational groundfish fishery.

He says DFO has clearly stated they do not know how many fish are caught as a result of the recreational fishery.

Butler says he doesn’t believe the food fishery will be cancelled altogether, but it’s time that some kind of action be taken to seriously address declining numbers.

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