Northern Cod Total Allowable Catch Raised 55% as Stock Reaches Healthy Zone
Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has increased the northern cod Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the 2J-3KL zone to approximately 59,000 metric tonnes, a 55 per cent rise from 38,000 tonnes in 2025. The increase follows DFO's April 2026 declaration that northern cod stock had entered the healthy zone for the first time since the 1992 moratorium. The decision signals a significant economic recovery for Newfoundland and Labrador's fishing industry, though it remains far below pre-moratorium levels and has sparked controversy over quota allocations for Labrador communities.
DFO announced on June 12, 2026 that the northern cod TAC for zones 2J-3KL — spanning southern Labrador to the southern Avalon Peninsula — would rise to roughly 59,000 metric tonnes, up from 38,000 in 2025, reflecting the stock's newly designated healthy status. The inshore fleet receives 70 per cent of the TAC (approximately 41,000 tonnes), the offshore and mid-shore fleet receives 20 per cent (around 12,000 tonnes), and Indigenous and special allocations account for 10 per cent (about 6,000 tonnes). Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson called it 'a remarkable day' while emphasizing continued commitment to sustainable rebuilding, noting cod exports and prices are rising. The FFAW union praised the overall increase as exceeding what they sought, though president Dwan Street expressed concern about the growing offshore share. The announcement drew sharp criticism from the Nunatsiavut Government, which called for the allocations to be revoked, arguing that DFO violated the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement by granting NunatuKavut Community Council a quota matching Nunatsiavut's despite NCC lacking section 35 treaty rights. The current TAC, while historically significant, still represents less than a quarter of the roughly 250,000-tonne TAC seen in the late 1980s before the stock collapsed.
What's missing
The announcement does not detail the specific scientific benchmarks or biomass thresholds that define the 'healthy zone' designation, nor does it explain the timeline or conditions under which the northern Gulf cod moratorium might be lifted.
How coverage differed
VOCM's coverage was largely positive and focused on economic benefits and stakeholder satisfaction, with limited attention to Indigenous rights disputes. CBC provided substantially more critical context, including the Nunatsiavut Government's call to revoke allocations, the Labrador Fishermen's Union's adjacency concerns, and FFAW's reservations about the offshore fleet's growing share.
What different sources said
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