Case Studies in Earth & Environmental Science Journalism

The Collapse of the Atlantic Cod Fishery

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  • Technical Articles
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    Questions to Ponder and Discuss

    • Look at the articles that were published before the closing of the northern cod fishery in 1992. How did journalists portray the impending crises?
    • How does the tone and focus of the articles change after the fishery closure in 1992?
    • The Christian Science Monitor article (1992) compares the collapse of the fishery to climate change. Does the author make this transition successfully? Is this an effective technique?
    • Look at the opinion pieces—Shane (1992), Woodley (1992), Mackay (1993). How convincing are their arguments?
    • Compare the long feature articles—Penn (1995), MacKenzie (1995), The National (1997), and Anderssen (1998). How do their approaches differ? Which one do you think is the most successful at elucidating the significance of the cod fishery?
    • After reading the popular articles, what group do you think comes out looking the worst (i.e. the government, the fishermen, the scientists, the seals)? Do you think that the journalists provide a balanced view of the situation?
    • Many journalists spiced up the story by emphasizing conflicts between interest groups and by placing the cod fishery in a historical and social context. Do the journalists make the situation too dramatic, or is drama appropriate in this situation?
    • How successful are Mackenzie (2003), Schiemeier (2002), and Hirsch (2002) in applying lessons of the cod collapse to other fisheries?
    • Several journalists write about the Frank et al. Science article. Do you think they make this information accessible to the general public? What else could they do to simplify this concept for their readers?
    • Compare the local media coverage in Atlantic Canada and the northeast United States to coverage by the international press.
    • What do you think can be done to keep fishery collapses from happening again? Do you think that educated consumers have the potential to protect fisheries?

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  Readings

  Background information:

  Kurlansky, Mark. Cod. London: Penguin Books. 1-14. 1997.

  Mason, Fred. The Newfoundland cod stock collapse: A review and analysis of social
  factors. The Electronic Green Journal. 17. December, 2002. <http://egji.lib.uidaho.edu/egi17/mason1.html> Accessed: 11/1/2005.

  A recent account of Canada’s Atlantic cod fishery. Fisheries and Oceans
  Canada. 2004. <http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/kids-enfants/map-carte/map_e.htm> Accessed 11/4/2005.

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  Technical Article:

  
  Baird, J. W., Bishop, C.A., and Murphy, E. F. Sudden changes in the perceptions of stock size and reference catch levels for cod in northeastern Newfoundland Shelves. Scientific Council Studies. 16: 111-119. 1991.

  Hutchings, J. A., Myers, R. A. What can be learned from the collapse of a renewable
  resource? Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 51: 2126-2145, 1994

  Hutchings, J. A., and Reynolds, J. D. Marine fish population collapses:
  Consequences for recovery and extinction risk. BioScience. 54: 297-309. 2004.

  Olsen. E.M., Heino, M., Lilly, G. R., Morgan, M. J., Brattey, J., Ernande, B., Dieckmann,
  U. Maturation trends indicative of rapid evolution preceded the collapse of northern cod. Nature. 428: 932-935. 2004.

  Frank, K. T., Petrie, B., Choi, J. S., and Leggett, W. C. Trophic cascades in a
  formerly cod-dominated ecosystem. Science. 308: 1621-1623. 2005.

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  Popular Articles:

  The vanishing stocks of cod. Maclean’s. May 29, 1989.

  Canada: from our Canada correspondent. The Economist. February 10, 1990

  Spears, J. New cod quotas called disastrous for fishery drastic steps necessary to
  save stocks critic warns. The Toronto Star. December 15, 1990.

  Gordon, A., and Connolly, M. Newfoundland’s cod: Lesson on environmental choices.
  The Christian Science Monitor. April 30, 1992.

  Gorham, B. Anger, despair as fishery dies. Toronto Star. July 3, 1992.

  Shave, T. Maybe a new anthem: Queen save the cod. Calgary Herald. July 20, 1992.

  Woodley, T. Don’t blame the seals; Renewal of hunt won’t replenish cod. The Gazette.
  August 7, 1992.

  Demont, J. Waiting, and praying, for cod. Maclean’s. June 28, 1993.

  MacKay, B. Fisherman should turn inland for real culprits of cod collapse. The Toronto
  Star. August 1, 1993.

  Flaherty, E. East coast fishermen face bleak year as cod stocks fail to rebound. The
  Gazette. December 29, 1994.

  Kunzing, R. Twilight of the cod. Discover. April, 1995.

  MacKenzie, D. The cod that disappeared: How could the massed experts of an
  advanced nation like Canada allow one of the world’s richest fisheries to go the wall. New Scientist. September 16, 1995.

  The cod wars. The National. Canada Public Broadcast. 1997.
  <http://www.tv.cbc.ca/national/pgminfo/fish/> Accessed 11/5/2005.

  Anderssen, E. The cod collapse. The Unesco Courier. July/August 1998.

  Schiermeier, Q. How many more fish in the sea? Nature. 17 October, 2002

  Hirsch, T. Cod’s warning from Newfoundland. BBC News. December 16, 2002.

  MacKenzie, Debora. Misplaced optimism has delayed recovery of cod. New Scientist.
  September 27, 2003.

  Wangersky, R. Flying blind- more than a decade later. St John’s Telegram. May 28,
  2005.

  Auld, A. Marine Ecosystem Altered. St John’s Telegram. June 10, 2005.

  Bell, T. Decline in the codfish stocks may not be reversible; A new study sees the
  population of other species growing, resulting in major changes to the ecosystem. Portland Press Herald. June 27, 2005.

  Goodison, D. You cod-ta be kidding; Scientist warn restaurants overfishing taking a
  toll. The Boston Herald. October 21, 2005.

   

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  Environmental Defense

  Cape Cod can still live up to its namesake. Environmental Defense. n.d.

  Best and Worst Seafood Choices. Environmental Defense. 2005.
  <http://www.oceansalive.org/eat.cfm?subnav=bestandworst> Accessed: 10/20/2005.

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