Should Russia be kicked out of NAFO; its trawler fleet banned from fishing outside Cdn waters?

There's a case for it considering Canada has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft, and even a call by hockey legend Wayne Gretzky for Russia to be banned from the rescheduled World Juniors this summer in Alberta as a consequence for the country's invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian Federation is one of 13 members of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, which sets/enforces quotas of migratory fish stocks outside Canada's 200-mile limit on or near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

Offshore trawlers from the Russian Federation have access to thousands of tonnes of quota a year in the NAFO zone, including redfish, turbot, and skate.

Kicking Russia out of NAFO, and banning its offshore draggers from the area (if that's possible), could be another message to President Vladimir Putin that his invasion of the Ukraine is unacceptable.

Below are the NAFO quota tables for 2022, including a breakdown of fish set aside for Russia.

Ryan Cleary,

Executive Director,

SEA-NL

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