The Atlantic cod population is showing signs of a comeback, decades after a high-profile collapse that had a calamitous impact on fishing communities.
Canadian researchers have found that fundamental changes to the marine ecosystem off Nova Scotia have supported a rebound in stocks of cod and other groundfish.
“This is promising – it’s the first sign of a turnaround,” said Jonathan Fisher, a biologist at Queen’s University in Kingston. “There is cause for cautious optimism.”
The report, published in the journal Nature, notes that overfished stocks still haven’t recovered nearly 20 years after a federally imposed moratorium. Despite the lag, the results suggest that damaged ecosystems can be repaired given enough time, which augurs well for other hard-hit fisheries.
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