According to DFO, "the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) adopted a wide range of enhanced measures to protect or rebuild key fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic and to strengthen protection for vulnerable marine ecosystems." They claim that the total allowable catch decisions made at the 2012 meeting are in line with scientific advice and "the continued rebuilding of the 3M cod and 3LN redfish stocks is a clear indication that the Organization's efforts are paying off." There will continue to be no directed fishery for the following stocks: American plaice (Divisions 3LNO and 3M), capelin (Divisions 3NO), cod (Divisions 3LNO), northern shrimp (Divisions 3M and 3NO), and witch flounder (Divisions 3LNO).

DFO also claims that NAFO agreed to take "concrete and targeted actions to strengthen certain catch reporting provisions, particularly to improve the level of detail and precision of catch verification data for monitoring and compliance purposes, as well to improve the information systematically provided to the Scientific Council in order to support scientific advice."

Building on its incomprensible decision in 2009 to ratify proposed amendments to the NAFO Convention that weakened rather than strengthened NAFO, Canada urged all Contracting Parties who had not done so to ratify the amended Convention. So far  5 of 12 contacting parties have ratified the amended NAFO convention.

TAGS: sustainable, fisheries, overfishing, NAFO,