Biologist Karen Dwyer of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) said this year's rise surpassed negative projections after further study of 2017's mortality numbers. The report also said the stock's natural mortality rate -- meaning deaths unrelated to fishing -- has declined since 2017. Despite the incremental good news, Dwyer said the department advises keeping cod removal at the "lowest possible levels" until population numbers clear the critical zone. The commercial cod fishery, once the backbone of the province's fishing industry, collapsed and was placed under a moratorium in 1992, throwing thousands out of work and sparking protests.