CBC Newfoundland Morning

In a surprising announcement this week, the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans declared the Northern Cod moratorium in this province over. It's increasing the total allowable catch of cod from 13-thousand tonnes last year to 18-thousand this year. The decision to open a small commercial cod fishery baffles scientists, who say all the evidence points to a need to cut quota, not expand it. Ryan Cleary is an inshore fisheries advocate and former Member of Parliament.

It's summertime, and for a lot of us, that means we shift into a different gear. Our thoughts switch to trying to enjoy the precious good weather, with maybe some time off to put our feet up and relax. But for the folks at Canadian Blood Services, it's a time to worry about keeping up with the demand for blood and blood products. 

And right now there is a shortage of those products right across the country. Gordon Skiffington is the community development manager for Canadian Blood Services in this province.

2SLGBTQ+ communities in NL and across most of Canada have been celebrating Pride Month, but with a growing sense of unease. While they celebrate queer history, diversity and the continued journey for equality in rights and freedoms, they worry about surveys that show hate and aggression against members are on the rise. Sarah Worthman is a 2SLGBTQ+ activist and a member of the group No Space For Hate.

The Northern Peninsula is home to one of this province's most beautiful ecosystems: the one at Hare Bay. Intervale Associates is an organization that provides programs to help conserve those areas. One of their newer projects is a wildlife monitoring program that will allow kids the chance to explore Hare Bay and learn wildlife surveying skills. Jackie Bauman is the project coordinator.

On Wednesday, the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans announced that the Northern Cod moratorium, established in 1992, is now over. After 32 years, there will be a commercial cod fishery, with a total allowable catch of 18,000 tonnes. But when you compare that to pre-moratorium numbers, .it doesn't look much like a stock recovery. In 1989 ,the quota was 190,000 tonnes. Rebecca Schijns is a marine biologist specializing in cod with Oceana Canada. It's an independent charity, dedicated to preserving the health of the oceans. Schijns spoke with the CBC's Leigh Anne Power.

There's a rise in the numbers of drink-spiking incidents across Canada - and most victims of the crime are females. Olivia Lynch, executive director of Violence Prevention Avalon East, recently told CBC how women can stay safe and protect themselves from such crimes. But we asked her to come back and talk about what men and boys should do about the problem, and what kind of education they need about consent and boundaries.

The new Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook has been open for more than three weeks now. One of the large units is devoted to mental health care. A lot of thought goes into the design of a hospital, of course, and the new mental health unit is no exception. Robin Snell is a health care architect with Parkin Architects, one of the firms that designed the project.

A new immigration consulting company is coming to Corner Brook, but not everyone welcomes it. Madhvi Chhina is originally from India. She started her business, Canadian Immigration Scouts, in Mississauga, Ontario in 2017. Now, Chhina is preparing to open a second location in this region, but she got some pushback when she shared the news online. She spoke with the CBC's Hillary Johnson.

The people of Churchill Falls who had stayed behind were being safely evacuated from the area last night, as the wildfire crept closer to the community. As fires across the province flare up, the island of Newfoundland is still under an outdoor fire ban. So what should all of us keep in mind right now? Scott Bungay is a member of Deer Lake Fire Rescue.

If you've ever been hurt in a fender bender, you'll know it can take a long time for the insurance company to pay up for your treatment. Until now, the only way to speed up access to medical care has been for the patient to pay out of pocket. Now, the provincial government is changing the rules. Sarah Stoodley is the provincial minister of Digital Government and Service NL, and she spoke with the CBC's Leigh Anne Power.