A fishing company in southern Labrador has made a request to the federal fisheries minister for a five per cent share of the Total Allowable Catch for offshore northern cod.
President of the Labrador Fishermen’s Union Shrimp Company, Dwight Russell, was in St. John’s this morning to outline his company’s case for a share of the quota.
NAFO division areas (DFO)
He says more than 50 per cent of the northern cod biomass is located in NAFO division area 2J – directly adjacent to Labrador communities and fish plants.
Despite that, he says Labrador processors do not have a dedicated offshore northern cod allocation.
He says the proposal would see them getting their share of the TAC, without affecting quotas allocated to other stakeholders.
Dwight Russell addressing media on board the Nain Banker
Russell says they are expecting an increase in the TAC of between 17,000 and 20,000 tonnes this year. With that, they could get their five per cent, and the others who have an allocation can get an increase too.
With a reduction in the shrimp quota, and crab “under pressure,” Russell says northern cod is their only option to remain viable.
“The only hope for the future is cod. And that’s where the fishery is going to be in the next couple of generations. And, you know, we’re hoping to be a part of that. We have to be a part of that. And if we don’t get these quotas, we’ve been here for 45 or 50 years. The viability of this company is at stake. And indeed, the viability of the inshore harvesters and the communities (is at stake.)”
