Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier ignored the advice of staff within her department when she reopened the commercial cod fishery off Newfoundland and Labrador in June.
A briefing note dated May 9 reveals that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans recommended maintaining the longtime moratorium on northern cod based on scientific evidence, but that political advisors within the minister's office argued reopening the commercial fishery and hiking quotas would be "politically a victory."
Senior policy advisor Paul Carrigan wrote that DFO staff were concerned about an increase to quotas and the return of offshore boats in the fishery, which would "increase the stocks' risk of decline."
