A 55 per cent jump in the northern cod catch rate is not gradual

The government and the minister deserve credit for setting the quota numbers at low levels compared to the bad old days where gross overfishing was officially endorsed. Given the history here, caution should remain the watch word on this sensitive file. Increase the quota if the evidence supports it.

Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced on June 12, 2026, that the total allowable catch of northern cod has been increased by 55 per cent, from 38,000 tonnes to 59,000 tonnes.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY MICHAEL HARRIS

June 22, 2026

HALIFAX—On the face of it, Ottawa’s decision to increase the catch rate for northern cod is a good-news story.

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