“After 11 years [of the zone being closed], we recovered the quota of NAFO cod,” said Portuguese Fisheries Minister Antonio Serrano.

The  fishing-ground had been off limits to allow for the recovery of cod and redfish stocks.

The Portuguese boats set to work in NAFO waters have an average capacity of 900 tonnes of fish, Jornal de Noticias reports.

“We are satisfied with the cod [quota] we have obtained,” the fisheries minister assured.
For Miguel Cunha, president of the  Industrial Fishing Shipowners Association, the possibility of returning to fish in Canadian waters “proves them right,” referring to the Organisation, which had already announced that “that zone was ready to receive a greater fishing effort.”

In addition, he contended that the “cod stock was not in such a bad state” as was reported.

“Things are not always as bad as they want us to believe. The cod stock was in moratorium for around 10 years, when scientists said that it was extinct. This opening is proof that resources are dynamic,” Cunha added.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) Council of Fisheries Ministers continues debating the total allowable catches (TAC) of other species, like hake, anchovy, anglerfish, prawn, sole and ray, among others.

Source: FIS

Updated by Vietfish Community