The updated 2026 numbers confirm that Northern cod continues to have the largest Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) of any cod stock in the world with an exploitation rate remaining well below other cod stocks.
| Stock | Northern Cod (2J3KL) | Iceland (Div. 5a) | Barents Sea (Subareas 1 & 2) |
| Location | Canada | Iceland | Northeast Arctic |
| Date of Assessment | 27.03.2025 | 6.06.2025 | 1.07.2025 |
| Weblink | DFO 2025 | ICES Div 5.a | ICES 1 & 2 Advice |
| Spawning Stock
Biomass (t) |
540,000
(2026) |
386,752
(2025) |
330,486
(2025) |
| Total Biomass (t) | ~780,000
(2026) |
972,145
(2025) |
~1,200,000
(2025) |
| TAC (t) | 38,000
(2025/26) |
203,822* (2025/26) |
285,000
(2026) |
| Limit Reference Point (t) | 240,000 | 125,000 | 220,000 |
| Fishing mortality** | 0.04
(to end of 2025) |
0.20
(to end of 2024) |
0.62
(to end of 2024) |
| 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 |
*Icelandic fishing year calendar 1 Sept 2024 – 31 Aug 2025.
**Fishing mortality from assessment model outputs.