Spanish fishers will be able to harvest 787 tonnes of Newfoundland Atlantic cod. The fishery has been closed since 1999. (Photo: C. Reports/StockFile)

NAFO reopens cod fishing in Newfoundland

SPAIN
Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 01:10 (GMT + 9)

The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) has re-opened the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) fishery in Newfoundland waters, in the zone known as the Flemish Cap, and set a total allowable catch (TAC) of 5,500 tonnes.

Of the total quota established, the 10 ships of the cod fishing fleet of Spain will be able to fish 787 tonnes.

The decision to open the fishing-ground, closed to all fleets as of 1999, was taken after certifying the good state overall of the cod stock in these waters.

The manager of firm Pesquera Ancora, Ivan Lopez, said that in spite of the low quota allocated to Spain, “it is still great news” worth celebrating. He also expressed his hope that it mark the beginning of better times for the sector and “that the fishing ground can be profitable and beneficial.”

Some 75 per cent of the 787 tonnes assigned to Spain will be distributed among three shipowners, that is, no will have the right to more than 200 tonnes of Newfoundland cod.

According to sources of the Spanish fishing sector, “that amount will not merit a complete campaign to Newfoundland, as it would not be profitable.”

Meanwhile, NAFO put forth that the TAC of Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) will remain firm at 16,000 tonnes. Of that total, 4,396 tonnes pertain to the Spanish fleet.

In other news, the quotas of stingray and white hake descended slightly to 12,000 and 16,000 tonnes, respectively.

During the 31st Annual NAFO Meeting, held last week in Bergen, Norway, the provisional closing of 11 fishing zones for two years was also approved by general consensus, in a bid to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.

The closing is temporary until definitive results are gathered from a survey carried out by the research vessel Miguel Oliver, pertaining to the General Secretariat of Marine Affaris, a dependency of the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM).

The European Commission (EC) indicated its satisfaction with the progress obtained in the last NAFO meeting after long negotiations. It described the agreements reached as reasonable and balanced, and emphasised that they are mainly the fruit of international cooperation, given the noticeable diversity in stance of Organization members.

At present, the contracting parties of the NAFO are: Canada, Cuba, Denmark (through the Islands Faroe and Greenland), the Europe Union (EU), France (through the St. Pierre and Miquelon islands), Iceland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

Related articles:

- EC’s ‘lack of sensitivity' vexes shipowner unions
- Great expectations precede NAFO meeting

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com