30th Anniversary of the Cod Moratorium

Boats in Port de Grave. Newfound News Photo.

On Tuesday an event took place at the Delta Hotel in downtown St. John’s to mark the 30th anniversary of the cod moratorium.

The federal government announced on July 2, 1992, a moratorium on the northern cod fishery.

Years of over-fishing had caused a collapse of cod stocks.

Not only did the closure end hundreds of years of fishing in the province but it resulted in about 30,000 people losing their jobs.

Fish plants were closed and hundreds of smaller communities saw a spike in outmigration.

The government announced a host of financial programs and training opportunities but a piece of Newfoundland and Labrador's history and way of life was gone.

While the stocks have made some recovery, levels are still not fully sustainable.