Federal officials will be watching for the illegal purchase and sale of northern cod once the food fishery opens on the Canada Day weekend.

Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced last week that the food fishery will be extended to full weeks for those along the east and northeast coasts as well as southern Labrador when it opens this summer.

Minister Thompson says they’re not interested in “policing families” out on the water, but Chief Conservation Officer with DFO for the northeast and southern area of Newfoundland, Melissa Abbott says they will be watching for illegal fish sales.

She says businesses should ask anyone selling codfish to log their name and registration number.

Abbott says that information should then be logged so that it’s readily available for DFO officers.

She says buying fish from an unlicenced sellers supports illegal activity.

“They really do compromise the integrity of the data that the department uses in determining management measures and setting quotas, and it also creates unfair conditions for licenced harvesters.”