Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the committee.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
My name is Alberto Wareham, and I am the president and CEO of Icewater Seafoods, a family-owned seafood company based in Arnold's Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Icewater operates the only food manufacturing facility in North America focused exclusively on North Atlantic cod. We focus on year-round operations and employment, with more than 300 employees during peak season supplying premium cod products to customers in Europe and North America.
My comments will focus on northern cod and the importance of timely, practical and predictable fisheries management decisions, particularly around opening dates.
Overall, the management of northern cod demonstrates that Canada can rebuild and responsibly manage fisheries over the long term. The return of the commercial fishery supported by a healthy and growing stock is a significant success story. Improvements in timing, process and the alignment of harvesting opportunities with the realities of the resource can further improve the economic benefits, operations and overall safety of fisheries.
Northern cod is a migratory stock. During the summer months, cod are concentrated in shallow waters close to the shore and accessible to small inshore vessels. In the fall and winter months, they migrate farther offshore, into deeper waters. That migration pattern directly affects when different fleets can safely and effectively access the resource.
Industry participants support the current spawning closure in place from approximately mid-April until the end of June. Given that the commercial fishery reopened only in 2024 after more than three decades under moratorium, that closure should continue until there is sufficient updated scientific information on spawning behaviour in today's climate conditions. However, with that spawning closure in place, timely opening decisions are critical.
Northern cod in 2025-26 was a good example. The annual management approach was announced on June 18, 2025, which was earlier than some past years, but still not as early as the June 1 date industry had requested. Additional delays followed, and the inshore fishery did not open until mid-July. Had the fishery opened July 1, immediately following the end of the spawning closure, there would have been an additional two weeks of productive fishing time during one of the best periods of the year for the inshore fleet. In July, the weather conditions are generally more favourable, cod are concentrated close to shore, product quality is excellent, and small day boats can fish more safely and consistently.
Last year, approximately 5,650 metric tons of the inshore allocation remained uncaught, roughly 20% of the inshore share. Although many factors can affect harvesting outcomes over the course of a season, timely openings help inshore harvesters have the fullest possible opportunity to access the resource under favourable conditions. For our operation alone, those 5,650 tonnes of uncaught cod represent more than $3 million in lost income for plant workers. We could have paid harvesters more than $12 million for additional catch, and that's not including the broader economic impacts across rural communities and local businesses. A notable portion of that uncaught fish could have been harvested had the season opened two weeks earlier.
Of the approximately 1,170 active licences in the inshore northern cod fishery last year, the vast majority were true day boats that depend heavily on summer access when fish are close to shore and conditions are safest. Larger inshore vessels, representing only about 50 active vessels, typically harvest in the fall when cod has moved further from shore. Local offshore harvesters then harvest during the fall and winter, when the stock is located in offshore waters.
Season timing and allocation decisions should reflect stock migration patterns, safety considerations, operational realities and market needs. For northern cod and for Newfoundland and Labrador, 2026 represents a particularly significant opportunity. The stock is healthy and growing. More than 70% of northern cod is now destined for premium markets in Europe, aligned with Canada's broader trade and export objectives.
Global cod supply has declined by approximately 40% over the past five years, and demand and prices for high-quality cod products have strengthened considerably as a result. The economic losses experienced in 2025 would pale in comparison to the losses this year if cod is again left uncaught.
On behalf of the 300-plus people at Icewater Seafoods and the town of Arnold's Cove, who, against the odds, remained committed to cod through the 32-year moratorium, I encourage the government to ensure that seasonal opening dates and management approaches reflect the realities of the resource. Doing so can provide industry with the ability to safely and effectively optimize the economic potential of this historic resource.
Thank you again for the opportunity to appear today, and I look forward to your questions.