Latest news with #FisheriesAndOceansCanada
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Scientists question Ottawa more than doubling cod catch in Newfoundland and Labrador
Fishing boats are shown in St. John's, Friday, Apr. 16, 2021. Since the 1992 moratorium on fishing cod in Newfoundland and Labrador, harvesters have focused on crab, shrimp and other shellfish, as evidenced by the many crab boats seen at St. John's wharfs each spring. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sarah Smellie ST. JOHN'S — Scientists say they are surprised and 'puzzled' by the federal fisheries minister's decision Wednesday to more than double the catch in this year's northern cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. Noel Cadigan modelled the northern cod stock for years as a scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He said the move to hike catch limits this year doesn't line up with the precautionary management approach the department says it has adopted for the stock. 'It is not easy to reduce these quotas again,' the associate professor at Memorial University's Marine Institute said Thursday. 'You want to be sure that these increases are going to be sustainable over the medium term.' 'I don't see evidence for that,' he added. Federal fisheries minister Joanne Thompson announced Wednesday that the total allowable catch for the commercial northern cod fishery off Newfoundland and Labrador's east coast would be 38,000 tonnes this year. That's up from 18,000 tonnes in 2024. For centuries, the northern cod fishery was the backbone of Newfoundland and Labrador's fishing sector and rural economy. But the stock began to collapse and in 1992, the federal government imposed a moratorium on the fishery. The move resulted in one of the largest mass layoffs in Canadian history. Ottawa lifted the 32-year-old moratorium last year, drawing criticism from some scientists who say the stock is still trying to recover. The Fisheries Department's northern cod stock assessment earlier this year was much rosier than the last. It included revised estimates of the stock size and the threshold at which it would struggle to survive. The chance the stock is above that threshold is greater than 99 per cent, it said. The department has not yet determined a threshold at which the stock would be considered healthy. If the stock falls between the goalposts for struggling and healthy, it is considered to be in the 'cautious' zone. Cadigan noted that according to the department's own guidelines, 'fishing must be progressively reduced' on stocks in that zone. The assessment also said there was a moderate to moderately high chance the stock would decline in the next few years, even if it wasn't fished. Cadigan said Thompson seems to be 'gambling' on that not happening. Tyler Eddy, a Marine Institute research scientist, said the assessment also predicted if fishing levels were doubled this year, there was just a four per cent chance the stock would fall back down past the threshold at which it was threatened by 2026. But Cadigan said the point should be to avoid that precipice at all costs. 'You're talking about a small risk of a disaster,' he said. Sherrylynn Rowe, also a Marine Institute research scientist, said the data in the latest stock assessment made Thompson's decision surprising. The Fisheries Department's press release Wednesday said the stock has been stable since 2017. Rowe said that also means it hasn't shown any significant growth. However, she said officials are under a lot of pressure from the local fishing industry to increase quotas and catches. From that perspective, the minister's decision isn't quite as shocking, she said. 'This is a challenge in Canada,' she said in an interview. 'Within the Department of Fisheries, they have a dual mandate to both protect oceans and fish stocks, but also promote fisheries … It's not always clear how the various objectives are weighted when they make these types of decisions.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. Sarah Smellie
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
$5K fine, social media ban for B.C. jet skier who got too close to dolphins
Fisheries and Oceans Canada provided this image of a man who was found guilty of disturbing marine mammals. A B.C. man caught jet skiing too close to a pod of dolphins while taking video has been fined $5,000 and banned from posting 'anything' related to marine mammals on social media, according to officials. Stephen Michael White was found guilty of violating federal Marine Mammal Regulations that set minimum 'approach distances' as part of a prohibition disturbing killer whales, dolphins or porpoises, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a news release Thursday. 'Mr. White was recorded speeding toward a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins on his jet ski, coming within just a few feet while filming them on his cellphone – much closer than the 100-metre legal approach distance,' the statement from DFO said. 'The court determined his actions were negligent and reckless.' The incident unfolded in August of 2022 in the Broughton Strait near Port McNeill and was reported 'immediately,' DFO said. White was convicted last year, and the penalties were handed down in provincial court last month. In addition to the fine and social media ban, White was prohibited from 'operating any motorized vessel on water' for a period of six months, the statement from the agency said, adding that White was the first person successfully prosecuted for violating minimum approach distances. DFO's statement also explained some of the risks associated with too-close encounters. 'Toothed whale species, including dolphins and killer whales, rely on echolocating – using sound to navigate their environment,' the agency said. 'Close encounters with a vessel can disrupt their natural behaviours and interfere with essential sound signals used for communication, foraging, and socialization.' The legislated minimum approach distances vary depending on location and type of marine mammal but they apply to all watercraft, as well as swimmers and scuba divers.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scientists question Ottawa more than doubling cod catch in Newfoundland and Labrador
ST. JOHN'S — Scientists say they are surprised and 'puzzled' by the federal fisheries minister's decision Wednesday to more than double the catch in this year's northern cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. Noel Cadigan modelled the northern cod stock for years as a scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He said the move to hike catch limits this year doesn't line up with the precautionary management approach the department says it has adopted for the stock. 'It is not easy to reduce these quotas again,' the associate professor at Memorial University's Marine Institute said Thursday. 'You want to be sure that these increases are going to be sustainable over the medium term." 'I don't see evidence for that,' he added. Federal fisheries minister Joanne Thompson announced Wednesday that the total allowable catch for the commercial northern cod fishery off Newfoundland and Labrador's east coast would be 38,000 tonnes this year. That's up from 18,000 tonnes in 2024. For centuries, the northern cod fishery was the backbone of Newfoundland and Labrador's fishing sector and rural economy. But the stock began to collapse and in 1992, the federal government imposed a moratorium on the fishery. The move resulted in one of the largest mass layoffs in Canadian history. Ottawa lifted the 32-year-old moratorium last year, drawing criticism from some scientists who say the stock is still trying to recover. The Fisheries Department's northern cod stock assessment earlier this year was much rosier than the last. It included revised estimates of the stock size and the threshold at which it would struggle to survive. The chance the stock is above that threshold is greater than 99 per cent, it said. The department has not yet determined a threshold at which the stock would be considered healthy. If the stock falls between the goalposts for struggling and healthy, it is considered to be in the "cautious" zone. Cadigan noted that according to the department's own guidelines, "fishing must be progressively reduced" on stocks in that zone. The assessment also said there was a moderate to moderately high chance the stock would decline in the next few years, even if it wasn't fished. Cadigan said Thompson seems to be "gambling" on that not happening. Tyler Eddy, a Marine Institute research scientist, said the assessment also predicted if fishing levels were doubled this year, there was just a four per cent chance the stock would fall back down past the threshold at which it was threatened by 2026. But Cadigan said the point should be to avoid that precipice at all costs. "You're talking about a small risk of a disaster," he said. Sherrylynn Rowe, also a Marine Institute research scientist, said the data in the latest stock assessment made Thompson's decision surprising. The Fisheries Department's press release Wednesday said the stock has been stable since 2017. Rowe said that also means it hasn't shown any significant growth. However, she said officials are under a lot of pressure from the local fishing industry to increase quotas and catches. From that perspective, the minister's decision isn't quite as shocking, she said. "This is a challenge in Canada," she said in an interview. "Within the Department of Fisheries, they have a dual mandate to both protect oceans and fish stocks, but also promote fisheries … It's not always clear how the various objectives are weighted when they make these types of decisions." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Entangled North Atlantic right whale spotted near P.E.I.
An entangled North Atlantic right whale that was last seen in the St. Lawrence Estuary has been re-sighted near Prince Edward Island. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says officials saw the whale (named #5132) near Morell in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Monday. The whale was last seen near Les Escoumins, Que., on May 27. The whale is a juvenile male that was born in 2021. It was first seen entangled near North Carolina last December. 'If the whale is located again, and weather and sea conditions allow, efforts will be made to attempt disentanglement by our Marine Mammal Response partner the Campobello Whale Rescue Team,' the DFO said in a news release. 'We ask the public not to approach a rescue effort, should you see one underway. Keep your distance. Responding to an entanglement is dangerous, and our partners need space and time to safely do their work.' There are an estimated 370 North Atlantic right whales alive today. For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Government of Canada attends the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3)
NICE, France, June 13, 2025 /CNW/ - Canada's oceans are facing increasing impacts from climate change, including species decline, biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, harm from aquatic invasive species, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the effects from waste and other pollutants. In response to these challenges, Canada is collaborating internationally with maritime nations across the globe to better protect our oceans for present and future generations. From June 9-13, Fisheries and Oceans Canada led the Canadian delegation at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), which took place in Nice, France. During the Conference, Canada led on a series of events including: Canada also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom to strengthen our long history of cooperation on the sustainable use of marine resources, ocean protection and preservation, and ocean science. By continuing to collaborate with international partners to better understand the environmental changes we are seeing in the global ocean and create more economic opportunities for coastal and inland communities, Canada can help contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous blue economy for all. Quotes 'Healthy oceans are vital to supporting the livelihoods of those that live near and rely on the ocean. I look forward to continuing our work with international partners to protect our oceans, the biodiversity within them, and the economic opportunities they bring for coastal communities across Canada and the world.' The Honourable Joanne Thompson Minister of Fisheries 'As a nation that borders on three oceans, Canada has a responsibility to protect our marine ecosystems for future generations. Through smart policies, innovative technologies, and close collaboration with coastal and Indigenous communities, we continue to take action to safeguard our waters. Protecting the ocean isn't just an environmental priority—it's essential to our economy, our way of life, and our shared future.' The Honourable Chrystia Freeland Minister of Transport and Internal Trade 'Canada has the longest coastline in the world. Protecting the ocean is crucial, and that is why our government is getting more involved than ever to protecting our lands, as well as our marine and coastal areas—including through the creation of new national marine conservation areas. These allow us to protect the ocean, while providing Canadians and visitors from around the world with the opportunity to get closer to it, learn more and have unforgettable experiences.' The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages Quick Facts Related Products Associated Links Stay Connected SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada
