Canadas reopened cod fishery on shaky ground [Video]

Canada has lifted a three-decade moratorium on commercial cod fishing, but there are signs Atlantic stocks have not fully recovered, raising questions about the government’s rosy outlook for the sector.

The fishery off the coast of the nation’s easternmost Newfoundland province had been a major economic driver for centuries, providing livelihoods for local and European fisherman.

It became a symbol of overfishing and poor management, however, when Canada imposed a commercial fishing moratorium in 1992 after nearly all of the fish disappeared, leaving tens of thousands in the sector unemployed.

The moratorium was initially ordered to last two years, but it would only be lifted in 2024 as fish stocks struggled to bounce back.

Last year, the largest vessels in the offshore fleet set out to sea with a quota to catch 18,000 tons of fish — a far cry from the 120,000 tons authorized just months before the moratorium …