Newfoundland and Labrador premier takes aim at Ottawa over reopened cod fishery

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Newfoundland and Labrador's Liberal premier has once again penned a letter to the federal government opposing one of its decisions — this time about the reopening of the province's commercial northern cod fishery.

In a letter Wednesday to federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier, Premier Andrew Furey said foreign offshore vessels have no place in the province's fishery. The federal Fisheries Department's decision to allow these boats to catch cod in the reinstated fishery is "an affront" to Newfoundland and Labrador's fishers and processors, and the work they've done to help the cod stock grow, Furey wrote.

Newfoundland and Labrador, and its small coastal communities, "deserve to be the sole beneficiary" of the northern cod fishery, he said.

"These decisions should not have been taken without consultations with stakeholders in Newfoundland and Labrador," Furey wrote, adding: "The time has come for the province to have a direct say over our resources."

Lebouthillier announced last week that she was ending a 32-year moratorium on the commercial northern cod fishery, calling the decision "a historic milestone for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians." The moratorium was imposed on July 2, 1992, after cod stocks off the province's east cost collapsed.

The Fisheries Department said last week that Canadian vessels would be allowed to catch 18,000 tonnes in the 2024 season, which represents 95 per cent of the total allowable catch. The rest — roughly 950 tonnes — will go to foreign vessels according to a previous agreement with the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, the department said.

Many have opposed the decision. George Rose, a marine scientist who studied Newfoundland cod for decades, said that by lifting the moratorium, the Fisheries Department is "rolling the dice on this important fishery." The northern cod stock off the province's east coast hasn't grown significantly since 2015-16, he added.

The union representing inshore fishers and processing plant workers has called on Ottawa to reinstate the moratorium. The 14,000-member Fish, Food and Allied Workers union said Tuesday that Canadian offshore vessels, which it calls "draggers," should not be given part of the catch, nor should foreign fleets.

Union president Greg Pretty has said the offshore ships are "environmentally destructive" and do not contribute to the long-term sustainability of the province's coastal communities.

Inshore fishers operate smaller boats — typically shorter than 20 metres — and they fish closer to shore than the offshore vessels, which are longer than 30 metres, according to the Fisheries Department.

A closely monitored "stewardship" cod fishery began in 2006. Its catch limit was 13,000 tonnes in 2023, and it was open exclusively to inshore fishers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In his letter Wednesday, Furey said he has raised his objections with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He also demanded "an immediate discussion on how our respective governments can structure a joint management approach to the provincial fishery."

Furey, the only Liberal provincial premier in the country, has previously taken aim at the federal Liberals over carbon pricing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2024.

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press