OTTAWA — Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Joyce Murray, announces that there will be no commercial directed or bait fishing for spring herring in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and also announces the closure of Atlantic mackerel commercial and bait fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec.
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According to his department, stocks of spring herring in the southern Gulf and Atlantic mackerel are in the critical zone. Urgent action must be taken in the short term to give these stocks a chance to recover, and ensure the long-term sustainability and prosperity of East Coast fisheries.
In eastern Canada, pelagic forage fish, such as herring and mackerel, play a vital role in the ecosystem and the fishing industry. They are an important food source for other species, including tuna and Atlantic cod, and are a traditional source of bait in some commercial fisheries, including lobster and snow crab.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada advises that when a commercially fished stock is in the critical zone, removals from all sources should be kept to the lowest possible levels. Reducing fishing pressure can help these fish reach adulthood, reproduce, and rebuild as stocks.
The ministry says the closures will be reviewed following upcoming stock assessments.
Prince Edward Island Fisheries Minister Jamie Fox is looking for alternatives for lobster fishermen who use herring and mackerel as bait to catch their shellfish. Fishing for these two species of fish amounts to some 2,000 tonnes a year in Prince Edward Island, according to Minister Fox.
The Canadian Press