Fisheries Minister Geoff Regan announced that the Atlantic cod fishery will partially re-open for this season.
Mr. Regan said he based his decision to re-open areas on the northern and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence cod fisheries on advice from the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council.
"I agree that a limited fishery for the 2004-05 fishing season can be opened in the northern Gulf with maximum removals of up to 3,500 tonnes and up to 3,000 tonnes in the southern Gulf," Mr. Regan said.
He said he wanted to foster shared responsibility within the industry "including shared accountability for the future of these stocks."
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Mr. Regan said he wanted to see governments, those who use the resources and others help to maintain the fisheries for years to come.
"I am prepared to open this fishery as long as a number of conditions are met by industry. This includes the development of appropriate Conservation Harvest Plans that match harvesting capacity with the limited resources available, thus ensuring that industry respects the harvest levels set."
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans plans to use surveillance methods to monitor the industry and to ensure that the areas are not overfished.
"My role as Minister is to ensure the conservation and sustainability of fish stocks, including cod," Mr. Regan said. Industry has been invited to work with DFO to implement measures in the fishery to reflect available quotas and to ensure that harvests do not exceed these levels.
The cod fishery off the east coast of Newfoundland and the south coast of Labrador will remain closed due to low stock levels.
Depleted stocks in the Newfoundland northern cod fishery have forced the federal government to ban harvesting over the past decade and put thousands of people out of work.
When Ottawa announced the closure of the few remaining cod fisheries in April of last year the minister outlined a comprehensive action plan to help stocks recover.
That plan included strict conservation measures, expanded scientific research, and longer-term strategies.
With a report from Canadian Press
