BACKGROUNDER – Comparison of World’s Three Largest Cod Stocks - Atlantic Groundfish Council

BACKGROUNDER – Comparison of World’s Three Largest Cod Stocks

The 2025 numbers confirm that Northern cod now has the largest Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) of any cod stock in the world with an exploitation rate remains well below other cod stocks.

Stock Northern Cod (2J3KL) Iceland (Div. 5a) Barents Sea (Subareas 1&2)
Location Canada Iceland Northeast Arctic
Most recent Spawning
Stock Biomass (t)
524,000 386,752 330,486
TAC (t) 40,000*
(2025-26)
203,822**
(2025-26)
340,000
(2025)
Limit Reference Point (t) 260,000 125,000 220,000
Fishing mortality*** 0.02 0.20 0.62
Breakdown of gear type used Primarily gillnet with some longline, handline, and otter trawl

 

OT – 55%

LL – 26%

GN – 6%

DS – 7%

JG – 6%

OT – 60 – 80%

FG – 20 – 40%

Seasons/months of harvest Fixed Gear – Year-Round with spawning period closure

Otter Trawl – Year-Round with spawning period closure

Year-Round Year-Round with spawning period closures
Sustainability status FIP (A Rating) MSC

IRFC

MSC

 

* Includes domestic 38,000t TAC + 5% NAFO allocation
**Icelandic fishing year calendar 1 Sept 2024 – 31 Aug 2025.
***Fishing mortality from assessment model outputs.