The document discusses the groundfish crisis in Atlantic Canada, where overfishing led to a catastrophic decline in cod stocks in the 1980s. Groundfish like cod, redfish, haddock, plaice and halibut have long been an important part of the economy and culture in Atlantic Canada. By the 1990s, cod harvests dropped as low as 37,000 metric tonnes, compared to the typical 250,000-300,000 metric tonnes harvested annually since the early 1800s. In 2009, NAFO reopened cod fishing and allowed 5,500 tonnes to be caught, despite scientific recommendations of only 4,100 tonnes, with some arguing it was too early to reopen the fisheries.