Local companies celebrate the return of 100% local, year-round cod
Arnold’s Cove, NL
There are hundreds of smiling faces in Arnold’s Cove this week as the Icewater Seafoods plant processes offshore Northern Cod for the first time since the Northern cod moratorium was called in 1992. They are cod experts, many of whom have been honing their cod expertise for 30, 40 and 50 years. They’ve waited 32 years for this week to arrive.
Throughout the 32-year Northern cod moratorium, the people and plant at Icewater Seafoods have relied on foreign cod to process in the winter months. That winter supply not only kept 230+ people employed, but it also secured a place kept Newfoundland and Labrador cod in premium world markets.
Today, there was a new smiling face inside the plant; Captain Peter Melvin of one of Ocean Choice’s offshore groundfish vessels. Captain Melvin and his 29-person crew from communities throughout the province, just landed offshore Northern cod for the first time in 32 years. Captain Melvin toured the Icewater Seafoods plant to see the process and witness the final product which will be packaged and shipped to customers like Marks & Spencer and Youngs Seafood next week.
In 2025, the year-round plant will process 100% local cod. That cod will be landed by local inshore harvesters from July through early Fall, and by local offshore harvesters in the winter, like Melvin and his crew on the Katsheshuk II and Mike Hamer and his crew on the Calvert.
In the Arnold’s Cove plant, it means an extra 10 weeks of work for 2 full shifts, or $5M in payroll. For the crew of the Katsheshuk II and Calvert, Ocean Choice’s two groundfish vessels, it means employment and stability for crew working year-round on the vessels. It’s also welcome news for the many other local companies who service and supply the two family-owned local companies, from trucking and packaging to the supply of fuel and groceries.
On an exciting day focused on the future of Northern cod in Newfoundland and Labrador, the leaders of both family-owned companies also paid homage to the past. For Martin and Blaine Sullivan, their late father raised his family fishing cod and experienced the shock of the 1992 moratorium first-hand. For Alberto Wareham, his late father Bruce had taken over the local plant in 2004 to form Icewater Seafoods. Bruce Wareham did so with a vision to save its jobs and keep Canadian cod in markets in hopes that one day, the stock would recover.
Quotes
"My father was relentless in his vision to keep this plant operating through difficult times without compromising quality or losing its unique expertise in cod. He truly believed that this plant would once again operate year-round with 100% local cod, and that the people of Arnold’s Cove would be rewarded. So here we are in 2025 with an extra $5M in payroll going into our area in just 10 weeks. I’m proud to say he was right, and I’m proud of the fantastic team we have here processing some of the best cod in the world.”
– Alberto Wareham, President and CEO, Icewater Seafoods
“It is a very exciting week for everyone here at Icewater Seafoods. The company and the people never lost focus on cod. It is wonderful to see that commitment paying off. With local fish coming to this plant from inshore and offshore harvesters, there will be a bright future here for the next generation. We are fully committed to ensuring that happens.”
– Brenda King, Icewater Seafoods
“Today is a defining moment for the future of the Northern cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. To see cod caught by the 29 crew members on our offshore groundfish vessel, and then processed at Icewater Seafoods' plant in Arnold's Cove is a significant milestone. This marks a key step toward a sustainable, year-round fishery where both inshore and offshore harvesters work together, ensuring long-term value for our communities, economy, and the generations to come."
— Blaine Sullivan, President, Ocean Choice international
"We are proud of our crews on the Katsheshuk II and Calvert and their participation in the return of cod after more than 32 years. We have crew members who were part of the fishery before the moratorium, and to see them once again fishing Northern cod is nothing short of wonderful. We are looking forward to the upcoming science update and are hopeful for a positive outcome that will guide us in continuing to manage the fishery responsibly for future generations. It is great to see the offshore and the inshore participate in this fishery and bring maximum value back to our Province."
— Martin Sullivan, CEO, Ocean Choice International
"As a Newfoundlander, it was a great feeling to be on the water catching Northern cod. It’s hard to describe the feeling, the crew was proud to be the first and we were encouraged by what we saw. The catch rates were good, we had clean catch with little to no bycatch, and the fish were healthy. All of this is very promising signs for the future of the iconic Northern cod stock in Newfoundland and Labrador, and I’m optimistic about what lies ahead for the fishery."
— Peter Melvin, Captain of the Katsheshuk II
