Offshore draggers may access northern cod through the (Indigenous) back door

That’s right, while the first 115,000 tonnes of northern cod quota are reserved for the inshore fleet/Indigenous groups, it's possible Indigenous groups may be permitted to have offshore factory-freezer trawlers catch their share

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Here’s how DFO puts it: “Details on allocations and the management of those allocations for northern cod will not be established until a TAC (total allowable catch), and allocation are implemented.”

In other words — maybe. DFO isn't saying no.

As for the size of the Indigenous share (25% has been asked for), SEA-NL wrote about it here.

The offshore sector — represented by the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), and the Atlantic Groundfish Council — has certainly been spending a boat load of time/millions of dollars on northern cod science dating back to 2015, with particular attention to migration patterns.

The offshore spent $8.5 million alone on a northern cod acoustic tracking project.

Do you suppose the offshore is spending that kind of cash will no hopes of taking part in a commercial fishery for northern cod?

It was only last year that Ocean Choice International christened the MV Calvert — the first factory-freezer groundfish trawler to join the Canadian offshore sector since the mid-1980s.

The key word being groundfish, which includes cod of course.

Where's the fish coming from, I wonder?

Give the offshore credit for being on the ball. It's high time the inshore got its act in gear.

Ryan Cleary,

SEA-NL