We all know the story of the collapse of the cod fishery....there are many good books on the subject, and I will be posting reference lists in the near future. In the meantime, what do you think about this:

Since 2006, Newfoundlanders have been allowed to fish inshore for northern cod without a licence or tags for a few weeks time. For many, it's become a summer ritual, linking people to traditions of the past. Last month the Federal Fisheries Minister, Loyola Hearn, increased the fishery by 30% and initiated a small-scale commercial fishery based on the increase in the cod stock levels.

But some scientists and environmental organizations do not think this is a wise decision. One serious concern is the fact that DFO had two very different estimates of the amount of cod taken during the 2007 recreational fishery: one estimate was that 540 tonnes were caught, but another reported 5x that amount. "It tells me that management is a bit haphazard" said Robert Rangeley, vice-president of the Atlantic division of the World Wildlife Fund, was quoted as saying in the Chronicle Herald today.

Read more about it on the CBC web site. What do you think?