Northern Cod in Nunatsiavut: The Historical and Contemporary Relationship to Cod and the Cod Fishery

Abstract

This study offers a perspective on Northern cod from the Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement who live in the coastal community of Makkovik in Nunatsiavut. The Northern cod stock off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador is a valuable resource which has been widely sought after for centuries. Once thought to be an infinite resource, Northern cod eventually experienced population collapse due primarily to overfishing, therefore a moratorium on the commercial fishery was implemented by the Canadian government in 1992. The Northern cod population gradually increased enough to prompt the Federal Government to re-open the commercial cod fishery in June 2024. This research hopes to inform the management of Northern cod, including decisions regarding allocations of Northern cod to Nunatsiavut. The project was created in conjunction with the Torngat Wildlife, Plants, and Fisheries Secretariat and supported by the Nunatsiavut Government. A qualitative methodology was used to investigate the historical and contemporary relationship between cod and the Beneficiaries of the LILCA. Fifteen semi-structured interviews with cod harvesters took place in the coastal community of Makkovik, a historic cod fishing community in Nunatsiavut. Makkovimiut knowledge from participants about cod from 1950 – 2023 was summarized to provide a baseline for the other results. A strong attachment to cod was demonstrated through themes of subsistence, culture, livelihood, family, and community. For approximately 30 years, cod was so scarce off the coast of Nunatsiavut that the people “couldn’t even get one to eat,” but cod is returning, and with it, excitement and the opportunity for equitable and sustainable management