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The Atlantic cod was once among the most abundant fish species in the sea. Centuries ago, the waters off Atlantic Canada were described as ‘alive’ with cod. Cod sustained a major fishery and was the mainstay of the economy in Newfoundland and Labrador.

But by the second half of the twentieth century, massive over-fishing depleted cod stocks to critically low levels. It led to the collapse of Newfoundland’s cod industry in the 1990s, resulting in the loss of employment for 40,000 fishermen and destroying a way of life that had existed for centuries.

Despite the closures, cod on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and Labrador continue to be caught as "bycatch" in other fisheries. Some populations have declined by as much as 97% since the early 1970s and remain at historically low levels. What's more, every day, highly endangered species like whales, turtles, sharks and seabirds are also caught and killed in fishing nets as ‘bycatch’.

WWF-Canada is working with fishers, fisheries managers, governments, and fish buyers and sellers to restore Atlantic cod by significantly reducing its bycatch in other fisheries. We're working to change the way fish are caught by identifying and promoting more selective fishing gear, creating and implementing fishing best practices and working to protect important habitats, such as spawning and nursery areas

We're also encouraging consumers to buy only Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified seafood, from responsible companies who voluntarily meet the world's best practices for sustainable fishing and ecolabelling.

When you make the choice to support southern Grand Banks cod, you help WWF-Canada protect critical habitats by identifying areas that are essential to marine life in the Atlantic. You help strengthen existing regulations and uphold critical conservation measures. And you help tackle the problem of over-fishing and bycatch.

With your gift, you will help restore cod populations, save marine species, boost the Canadian economy and lay the framework for countless future conservation successes.

For $50, you can tell someone that they are helping to restore Atlantic cod populations.