FishSource

Canada Northern cod (2J3KL) - handline/gillnet/longline (FIP)

Last Updated: 2024-10-16

Progress Rating: A

Evaluation Start Date: 2016-12-07

Type: Comprehensive

Status: Active

FIP Lead: WWF-Canada (W), FIsh Food and Allied Workers - UNIFOR (FFAWU)

Stock Profile Link
Atlantic cod - Newfoundland

Comments:

Increase reported to PI 1.1.1 & 1.1.2; the FIP remains A rated.

1. FIP Development	Feb 16	Fishery assessment or scoping document made public 9 February 2016 — MSC pre-assessment
2. FIP Launch	Apr 15	Confirmation of project participants 28 April 2015 — FIP participants
2. FIP Launch	Apr 24	Workplan made public 1 April 2024 — Updated 2024 workplan 15 September 2021 — Updated 2021 FIP workplan 7 December 2016 — FIP work plan
3. FIP Implementation	Nov 24	FIP activities undertaken 29 November 2024 — The Northern Cod Working Group held a meeting to discuss the Upper Stock Reference point and Harvest Decision Rules; it was recommended to use the standard of 80% of BMSY. 11 November 2024 — Pictures of tagging efforts during November 2024 have been made available. 1 November 2024 — The FIP has developed a proposal to deploy satellite tags on Atlantic halibut in NAFO Divisions 2J3KL, focusing on understanding their seasonal distribution and habitat use to inform fisheries management. 4 June 2024 — The FIP has sent letters to the DFO Regional Director General expressing the need for improved monitoring within the fishery. 1 May 2024 — An annual survey of of inshore cod grounds was conducted and revealed distinct north-south recovery gradients with large changes in CPUE demonstrated across the survey. An index of catch rates using data from 1995-2020 has been made available. 27 November 2023 — A data request was submitted to DFO to request Citizen Cod and Conservation and Protection data. 21 November 2023 — WWF-Canada has developed an educational video in partnership with Tangly Whales and FFAW to introduce mitigation and release techniques; the trailer for the video has been made available. 16 November 2023 — The FIP participated in a framework meeting and accepted a new stock assessment model and LRP; the working group will now focus on the precautionary approach in place of a rebuilding plan. 2 November 2023 — To date in the 2023-2024 tagging season, FFAW technicians have completed 9 tagging trips in the 2J3KL region. DFO reported that FFAW had tagged 70% of the northern cod tagged and released in 3K and 18% of northern cod tagged and released in 3L since November. Additionally, 900 fish in NAFO Divs. 3KL were tagged and released by FFAW as of November. 2 March 2023 — DFO has reinitiated the Northern Cod Rebuilding Plan Working Group which is focused on revising the rebuilding plan for Northern Cod to be compliant with the new Fish Stock Provisions (FSP). 22 September 2022 — The FIP has completed their Lost Gear Retrieval Project after recovering and responsibly disposing of 23 tons of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) from the southern Labrador region. 1 August 2022 — Northern cod harvesters received 15 more line cutters and training in 2022 to safely remove turtles and other species entangled in fishing gear. 1 August 2022 — FFAW proposal for a longline survey and tagging program for Atlantic Halibut in 2J and 3K made available 15 July 2022 — HCR were applied in setting TAC for the fishing season; TAC for the Northern Cod fishery was set at 12,999 t 22 March 2022 — Tagging program update made available in tagging summary; a total of 4,068 cod were tagged in 2J3KL in 2021 1 February 2022 — 36 linecutters were distributed to harvesters for the disentanglement of turtles for the 21-22 fiscal year. 14 January 2021 — Target removal rates and HCR are included within the northern cod rebuilding plan; stock is considered within the critical zone 30 July 2020 — FFAW has requested an extension on the northern cod FIP due to the lack of action with working group activities and delays with significant action progress, i.e. HCRs 23 August 2019 — Letter to DFO about the definition of the limit reference point. 8 August 2019 — Bait section was added to the data sheets used in the cod quality project 1 August 2019 — Awareness campaign and sessions about ways to reduce turtles entanglement. 29 January 2019 — DFO - Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Peer Review of the current Limit Reference Point set for Northern cod (determined in 2010) to determine if the previous approach to adopting the LRP (and the LRP itself) remains valid. 1 January 2019 — In January 2019 WWF was invited to submit a full proposal to the Environment Canada's Environmental Defence Funding Program to implement a citizen science approach based on social-science methodology to address the gap in data regarding the level of removals in the 2J3KL cod recreational fishery. 30 November 2018 — Harvesters were informed and trained how to disentangle leatherback turtles (LBTs) found in NL waters from fishing gear 1 August 2018 — WWF-Canada is working with DFO to improve data fisheries collection through an app 1 August 2018 — Analysis done by WWF-Canada based on Canada stewardship survey published 11 July 2018 — The update on the HCRs is still a work in progress. In the interim, DFO continues to implement an annual management strategy for the 2J3KL cod Stewardship fishery. 1 April 2018 — DFO presented a draft of HCRs to the Groundfish Advisory Committee meeting in April 2018, plans to reconvene in the fall of 2018. 1 March 2018 — Analysis of the results of the Bait Survey with fish harvesters and literature review of MSC fisheries that dealt with similar conditions. 28 February 2018 — The NCAM results form running the two different harvest control rule scenarios were presented/delivered. 1 February 2018 — FFAW leading initiative to determine how to best utilize data from the observer program and how best to supplement that information with, for example, data collected from the Sentinel Science and the Cod Quality programs. 1 February 2018 — Action plan, with the detailed strategy to perform a Literature review/Determination of Best Methods 1 February 2018 — Implementation of the 2J3KL cod stewardship fishery bait survey, during the 2018 FFAW Annual telephone survey. 30 October 2017 — FIP presented the proposal for HCR to the WG meeting. DFO testing scenarios and due to report on results and make recommendations at Dec meeting 30 October 2017 — WWF submitted a position on the Northern Cod recreational fishery on July 31, 2017, see attached. 30 October 2017 — WWF met with DFO to discuss Rule 5 - no solution found yet. More work is required to find a solution 1 January 2017 — WWF working all stakeholders on the DFO cod rebuilding working group to make sure that elements of the precautionary approach framework are defined
4. Improvements in Fishing Practices and Fishery Management	Mar 23	Verifiable improvement in policy/management and fishing practices 1 March 2023 — The FIP has updated their tagging protocols for the 2J3KL cod stock to require recording lengths of all cod caught in tagging operations. 1 December 2020 — Evergreen rebuilding plan made available for northern cod 27 July 2020 — DFO has adopted a one year management approach based primarily on recommendations of the FIP partner NLGIDC 2 August 2019 — An interim Conservation harvesting plan was established with weekly catch limits. The HCRs are still a work in progress. 21 August 2018 — Government of Canada amends the Marine Mammal Regulations to provide greater protection for marine mammals. 25 July 2018 — A marine mammal response program in collaboration with conservation groups and NGOs is implemented. 11 July 2018 — 2018 2J3KL cod Stewardship Fishery - Conservation Harvesting Plan 1 July 2018 — Based on the recommendation from the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans a full stock assessment on 2J3KL cod is completed on an annual basis. 1 March 2018 — Following line-cutter template developed by the Whale Release and Stranding’s Network (also known as Tangly Whales), the WWF and FFAW had 68 sets of line cutters and extendable poles manufactured to be distributed to fish harvesters. 1 October 2017 — The Federal management body for commercial fisheries, adopted the management approach proposed by the NL-Groundfish Industry Development Council (NL-GIDC) to manage the 2017 2K3KL Cod Stewardship fishery in interim phase while rebuilding strategy being developed
5. Improvements on the Water	Mar 24	Verifiable improvement on the water 18 March 2024 — Increase to PI 1.1.1 & 1.1.2; the northern cod stock is now above the limit reference point.
6. MSC certification (optional)	—	MSC certificate made public