Canada-France Agreement for 3Ps Cod, Offshore Continues to Threaten Vulnerable Cod Stocks
March 24, 2018
03/24/2018
The 2018 agreement between Canada and France for 3Ps cod was released this week, where it was announced the quota for 3Ps will be reduced by 8 per cent as a result of declining stocks.
Despite strong opposition from FFAW-Unifor, offshore dragger fleets have been able to permitted to continue fishing during crucial periods of pre-spawning aggregations.
The cod stocks in 3Ps are in a vulnerable state and the federal government must protect the resource and the communities adjacent by removing the offshore draggers from fishing in the area. The offshore industrial dragger fishery operates during times of high pre-spawning aggregation, which continues to threaten a rebuilding stock. The last time the quota was at its most vulnerable, the offshore industrial dragger fleet did not participate in the fishery.