The NL Groundfish Industry Development Council is disappointed with DFO’s failure to accept their proposal to increase the quota for the summer cod fishery in area 3KL this year, and wants to see scientific surveys resume as quickly as possible.

Chair, Jim Baird says catch rates this year were good and the quality of the fish mirrored that of last year. As a result, the council put forward a proposal to increase the summer cod fishery in 3KL for this season.

Baird says last year’s fishery was a great success and catch rates, quality and size were all good, but the federal minister didn’t accept their proposal and simply rolled the quota over from last year.

“That’s because there have been no stock assessments for the past two years” because the vessels weren’t ready.

Baird calls that a missed opportunity.