Portugal will be able to fish 2,296 tons of cod in 2024 in zone 3M, next to Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an increase of 92% compared to 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food announced today.
“This increase is very positive for the Portuguese cod fleet, all the more so as it follows on from the increase already seen in 2023, when it was possible to increase the quota by 52.5%, contributing to strengthening the profitability of this fleet and ensuring that this much-loved species continues to reach our tables through the hands of our fishermen,” said the Minister for Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes, quoted in a statement.
The negotiations took place at the 45th annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), at the Palacio de Congresos Mar de Vigo, in Spain, between Monday and Friday, he stressed.
In national terms, the highlight of the negotiations was the cod stock in zone 3M, whose Total Allowable Catch (TAC) was set at 11,708 tons, said the Ministry of Agriculture.
“The other ‘stocks’ of importance to Portugal have maintained the same fishing opportunities,” he said.
NAFO is a Regional Fisheries Management Organization that aims to manage, on a multilateral basis, the fishing resources located on the high seas in an area contiguous to Canada’s EEZ.
