March 3, 2005 St. John's -- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the provincial Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) will hold "town-hall" meetings across the province in March to discuss rebuilding Atlantic cod stocks. This is the second part of a two-part process to develop a long-term strategy to rebuild cod stocks off Newfoundland and Labrador. The Cod Recovery Workshop held in St. John's February 1-2, 2005 was the first step in the process. The workshop examined current stock status and barriers to recovery, biological needs to rebuild stocks, recovery goals and fisheries management measures. Two teams will conduct simultaneous sessions during the week of March 7, 2005. A third set of meetings will be held the week of March 14, 2005. The schedule is as follows: DATE TOWN LOCATION TIME March 7, 2005 Grand Falls-Windsor Mount Peyton Hotel 7 p.m. March 8, 2005 Bonavista Hotel Bonavista 7 p.m. March 8, 2005 Marystown Hotel Marystown 7 p.m. March 9, 2005 Clarenville Clarenville Middle School Gym Complex 2 p.m. March 10, 2005 St. John’s Airport Plaza 7 p.m. March 14, 2005 Goose Bay Aurora Hotel 7 p.m. March 15, 2005 L’Anse au Clair Northern Light Motel 7 p.m. March 16, 2005 Plum Point Plum Point Motel 7 p.m. March 17, 2005 Port aux Basques Kinsmen Club 7 p.m. The cod recovery consultation paper is available on the DFO website at www.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca Comments can be e-mailed to: CAT-GTM@DFO-MPO.GC.CA or mailed to: Cod Action Team Fisheries and Oceans Canada P.O. Box 5667 St. John's, NL A1C 5X1 The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Action Team on Cod Recovery August 20, 2003 following the closure of the northern cod (2J3KL) and northern Gulf (4RS3Pn) cod fisheries. Its goal is to develop a stock recovery and long-term management strategy for four major cod stocks in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador. The Action Team includes members from DFO, DFA, and Memorial University. It is directed by the Deputy Minister's Steering Committee. Federal-provincial Action Teams with similar goals have been established in the Maritimes and Quebec. - 30 - For more information: Kimberley Penney Communications Officer Fisheries and Oceans Canada (709) 772-7629 Alex Marland Director of Communications Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Province of Newfoundland and Labrador (709) 729-3733
