Northern Cod Stewardship Fishery 2J3KL

Species and Area

Northern Cod (Gadus morhua) fishery in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 2J3KL.

Dates of season (subject to change)

Fishing season dates for the 2012 Stewardship Cod Fishery in NAFO Division 2J3KL will be determined in consultation with industry.

Total Allowable Catches and Sharing Arrangements (if applicable)

Fish harvesters will be assigned an individual quota (IQ) of 3,750 pounds (1700 kg), round weight per licence holder. This will be available to all less than 65 foot fixed gear groundfish licence holders with a homeport in NAFO Divisions 2J3KL and is intended to cover all directed and by-catch of Cod for all groundfish fisheries in the 2012 fishing season. Licence holders in this fleet sector must use a vessel less than 45 feet when participating in the directed Northern Cod Stewardship Fishery.

Management Measures

The management measures for this fishery will be very similar to the 2011 Stewardship Cod Fishery. These will include:

  • IQ fishery
  • Seasons
  • Gear restrictions of six gillnets or longlines (2000 hooks) or handlines
  • Small fish protocol
  • Bay-by-bay fishery
  • Monitoring of landings
  • Logbook completion

In response to concerns raised by harvesters regarding casual designations, the licensing policy, introduced in 2009, permitting only medical designations will continue to apply.

Further details of the management measures, including season dates, will be developed in consultation with industry through the regular conservation harvesting plan (CHP) process. It is very important for fish harvesters to return their completed logbooks to DFO at the end of the fishery.

Links to other information

DFO has completed its analysis on this stock, including the development of the Science Advisory Report (SAR). You can access the SAR using the following link: SAR.