Overview

• The 32-year moratorium ended in 2024 with an initial 18,000-tonne quota, which has now more than doubled for 2025 under Thompson’s directive.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 2025 assessment reported a greater than 99% chance that the stock is above the survival threshold; it also projected a moderate to high risk of decline even without fishing.
• Scientists, including Noel Cadigan of Memorial University’s Marine Institute, argue the increase contradicts the department’s precautionary management guidelines for stocks in the cautious zone.
• Fisheries Department has not established a benchmark for a healthy stock level, creating uncertainty over what constitutes a sustainable catch limit.
• Local fishing industry representatives and researchers such as Sherrylynn Rowe said sector pressure for higher quotas influenced the minister’s decision despite flat stock growth since 2017.