Fewer fish than ever on south coast: report

By Alisha Morrissey

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

Transcontinental Media/The Telegram

There’s less than half the codfish swimming off the south coast of Newfoundland now than the average amount there for every year since 1997, fish scientists say in a report released on March 26.

What’s more, the report says, the spawning stock in that area is in decline and near the lowest levels ever seen.

The annual cod stock assessment for the south coast released by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is often used to determine future quotas for that area.

This year’s report gave a bleak outlook and as a result of the report, officials with DFO are suggesting the reduction of total allowable catches to 10,000 tons.

Officials say that’s the minimum action the department should take to stop the decline and protect the stock. “If the management objective is to ensure growth in offshore biomass, then a greater reduction is considered necessary,” the report reads.

Meanwhile, the report identifies phone surveys with area fishermen, who said the fishery seemed healthy to them. More than 200 fishermen were surveyed and said catch rates on the south coast for the 2008/2009 fishing season were as good or better than in 2007.

As well, they said the fish were about the same size and were well distributed throughout the area, much like last year’s fishery.

Meanwhile, projected fish landings for the 2008-2009 fishery didn’t even meet total allowable catches.

The total allowable catch for the south coast ( for French and Canadian fishermen) was 13,000 metric tons. Only 9,400 metric tons were caught, officials say.