Building Back Sustainably: COVID-19 Impact and Adaptation in Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic, which started in late 2019, is one of the devastating crises that has affected human lives and the economies of many countries across the globe. Though economies have been affected, some sectors (such as food and fisheries sectors) are more vulnerable and prone to the deleterious impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper highlights the various disruptions (safety at workplace, loss of harvest and processing activity, loss of export opportunities and income) faced by the Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries due to several restrictive measures (especially on mobility, social distancing, quarantine, and, in extreme cases, lockdown) to curtail the spread of the virus. Additionally, this paper makes a case that Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries can be managed sustainably during and after the pandemic by suggesting practical recommendations borrowed from two sustainability frameworks (Canadian Fisheries Research Network and the EU Setting the Right Safety Net framework) for managing fisheries in Canada and the European Union.