Stakeholders met in Barcelona today to discuss the ongoing Northern Cod ‘Fishery Improvement Project’ (FIP) – the group’s first official meeting since the 32-year moratorium ended in June 2024. They discussed the most recent science assessment, the 2024-2025 fishing season, and progress on the FIP over the last year.
Stakeholders in attendance included Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), Marks & Spencer, Youngs Seafoods, Thistle Seafoods, New England Seafood and WWF from the United Kingdom; Sysco France, Cornic-Novamer, Cite Marine and Picard-Surgelés from France; High Liner Foods from Canada/United States, and producer organizations in Canada, including Ocean Choice International, Icewater Seafoods, and the Atlantic Groundfish Council. Representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Marine Stewardship Council also participated.
When the group met last year, the SSB Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) – the total weight of a fish population that is mature and capable of reproducing– was believed to be approximately 324,000t. At its annual science assessment last month, Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) confirmed last year’s number underestimated the actual and assessed SSB at 524,000t in its 2025 assessment, a 60% increase over 2024.
The positive science assessment is complemented by reports of high-quality cod landed in both the local offshore and inshore fisheries throughout the 2024-2025 fishing season. This is echoed by harvesters on the water and cod experts at Icewater Seafoods 7,000 meters-squared cod plant, many of whom have proudly noted the remarkable quality of the cod processed at the facility over the past few months.
Meeting participants were pleased with the continued progress of the $10+ million FIP over the last year, including the continued tagging of fish and a migration update from the world-class acoustic array. Notably, the FIP has attracted more than $350,000 of new investment from the Atlantic Fisheries Fund to refurbish the receivers installed along the array at the onset of the project. This means valuable data will continue to be collected by Ocean Tracking Network for at least another 5 years, continuing to fill gaps in data and provide a more complete understanding of the complex cod stock and other tagged species in the area. Research genetics and migration has continued, with additional research projects entering the planning phase.
The FIP participants share a long history in the cod business, and a long-standing commitment to the ultimate objective of a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified Northern cod fishery. The FIP is led jointly by the Atlantic Groundfish Council and the Association of Seafood Producers and has an ‘A’ rating.
Quotes
“Many of the participants have been part of this Northern Cod Fishery Improvement Project since it launched a decade ago. Industry, academia, government, ENGOs and customers each bring unique expertise to the table and share a deep commitment to the recovery and long-term sustainability of Northern cod.”
— Sylvie Lapointe, President, Atlantic Groundfish Council
“We now know the Northern cod has the second largest spawning stock biomass of any cod stock in the world, and we have scientific confirmation the Government of Canada made the right decision when they ended the moratorium and reopened the commercial fishery last year. This SSB relative to the Limit Reference Point (LRP), the line between the Critical Zone and the Cautious Zone, is an important indicator of health and sustainability applied to fish stocks around the world. The 2025-2026 Northern cod SSB is double the LRP, which signals a strong stock that can be responsible managed and sustainably harvested at higher fishing levels than it has been in the past.”
— Jim Cannon, CEO & Founder, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
“Sourcing sustainably harvested and managed fisheries is a core principle of our supply chain. This is true for all our products, but Northern cod carries unique meaning. Lessons learned from Northern cod shaped sustainability of fisheries around the world. We are proud to be a long-term supporter and contributor of this fisheries improvement project, to see the positive updates on the stock, and for us to be getting Cod from Newfoundland again is something we’re quite excited about.”
— Paul Jewer, President & CEO High Liner Foods.
“The positive science assessment and increases to annual catch of Northern cod is well-timed. Some other prominent cod stocks have experienced a decline, and customers are looking to Canada to provide a consistent supply of high-quality cod – something we know the people and province of Newfoundland and Labrador have long wanted to be able to offer. We have great respect for and relationships with industry and hope to be offering more Northern cod to our customers well into the future.”
— Olivier Canonne, Sustainability Manager, Sysco France
“Just as more customers around the world are taking note of the positive science on Northern cod, there is a strong and growing show of support for the FIP. These are some of the largest seafood retailers and suppliers to retail and foodservice customers in Europe and North America. They’re supporting our FIP financially and their executives are taking time to participate in-person at the working group meeting in Barcelona. That demonstrates how important this fishery is and how positively it is viewed.”
— Alberto Wareham, President & CEO, Icewater Seafoods.
“For the first time since the Northern cod moratorium, our offshore vessels have successfully harvested Northern cod — and the results are extremely promising. The catch rates were strong, the fish were of high quality and very healthy, and bycatch was minimal. The stock appears to be robust, and if we continue to fish it responsibly, as we are now, there’s real potential for long-term, sustainable benefits for everyone. These are encouraging signs for the future of this iconic species in Newfoundland and Labrador, and I’m optimistic about what lies ahead for the fishery.”
— Carey Bonnell, Vice President of Sustainability & Engagement, Ocean Choice International
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Northern Cod Fishery Improvement Project
The Atlantic Groundfish Council and its members have demonstrated a deep commitment to the recovery of the Northern cod stock by leading a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) with the Association of Seafood Producers. Customers in the UK, US, and France also financially contribute to the FIP. The FIP is filling knowledge gaps identified collectively by industry, academia and government and includes a multi-million dollar world class acoustic tracking project that will help define the migration patterns of Northern cod, necessary for good management.
About the Association of Seafood Producers
The Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) is a not-for-profit industry association representing seafood producers in Newfoundland and Labrador. ASP is committed to promoting sustainability, economic growth, and responsible practices in the seafood processing sector while advocating for the interests of its members on provincial, national, and international stages.
About Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) is globally recognized nonprofit that operates around the world to rebuild depleted fish stocks. CEO and Founder, Jim Cannon – who engages direction with the Atlantic Groundfish Council on Northern cod – has worked on fisheries, forestry, and conservation issues in Asia, Europe, and the Americas for more than three decades. Jim founded SFP in 2006 to scale-up the impact of fisheries improvement efforts. At the time, there was no organization like SFP, working with the seafood industry to drive change through their supply chains. The model for fisheries conservation that Jim and the SFP team created is now the standard approach to seafood sustainability by seafood companies around the world. Jim’s experience also includes the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s World Review of Marine Fisheries, Conservation International (head of the conservation economics program), and several years serving on the Marine Stewardship Council’s Technical Advisory Board. Full bio here.
About Icewater Seafoods
Icewater Seafoods is North America’s only plant focused solely on North Atlantic cod. Despite many challenges, the local company has continued to keep Newfoundland and Labrador cod in premium global markets for decades. The Arnold’s Cove operations has invested $14 million in recent years to ensure its processing technology remains among the best in the world, allowing the 70,000 square-foot plant and its people to continue to focus on producing a high-quality cod. The plaint operates nearly, year-round, creating important economic benefits to the rural region.
About Ocean Choice International
Ocean Choice International is a family-owned seafood company headquartered in Newfoundland and Labrador. Since its founding in 2000, the company has expanded into a vertically integrated operation that responsibly harvests, processes, and markets a wide variety of seafood. With four fish processing facilities and three offshore factory freezer vessels, Ocean Choice is dedicated to the sustainable growth of the fishery. The company employs over 1,400 people across more than 300 communities in Newfoundland and Labrador and works closely with over 1,600 independent fish harvesters throughout the province.