Extinction risks increasing?

Despite nearly two decades of moratoriums and other drastic conservation measures, the risk of extinction for Atlantic cod is increasing.

That's one of the troubling findings of an assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, or COSEWIC.

The committee has listed four populations of Atlantic cod, including the Newfoundland and Labrador population, as endangered.

Additional Excerpt:

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Atlantic Canada chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada, Fred Winsor, said the assessment is further proof of the need for an overhaul of fisheries policies in this country.

He said the practice of "single stock management" is outdated and ineffective.

He said many other countries focus on protecting ocean habitat, particularly vulnerable marine ecosystems.

He singled out countries such as New Zealand, Australia, the United States and the European Union.

"What they focus on is rebuilding the health of all species, not only commercial species," said Winsor.

He said Canada needs to move quickly to establish marine protected areas that are off-limits to fishing activity in order to allow the ocean's inhabitants to rebuild themselves.

"We haven't come to terms with the fact our fisheries management policy does not work," Winsor added.

"We are 18 years into a moratorium and there is no sign of recovery. Something is very wrong."

troberts@thetelegram.com