(Halifax) Redfish fishing will reopen later in June in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, after a decades-long moratorium.
The federal Ministry of Fisheries announced last week that fishing, banned since 1995, will restart on June 15 with a total allowable catch of 60,000 tonnes for 2024-2025.
Nonprofit conservation group Oceana says that while the reopening represents a “hopeful new chapter” for Atlantic fishing, the new limit should be questioned.
Rebecca Schijns, a fisheries specialist at the group, points out that the new quota is far higher than the permitted minimum of 25,000 tonnes, announced in January, and believes that the increase could harm efforts to rebuild stocks.
She also argued that other species such as white hake, American flounder, winter flounder and Gulf cod could be affected by the increase in redfish quotas.
“Redfish may be abundant now, but there are many other species, like cod and white hake, that remain extremely depleted, and they are found in many of the same areas and depths as redfish. »
Mme Schijns believes, however, that the management plan contains strict measures that will be essential to prevent overfishing, including monitoring catches on board boats.
In contrast, Jason Spingle, secretary-treasurer of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union in Newfoundland and Labrador, maintains that the inshore fishermen his union represents instead believe the new quota is “conservative” given the estimated quantity of 2.5 million tonnes of redfish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Around 15% of the quota is reserved for coastal vessels less than 20 meters in length, an unfair share, according to Mr Spingle. Offshore fishermen, those who use boats longer than 30.5 meters, hold nearly 60% of the quotas. Shrimp fishermen and natives each received 10% of the quota.
“There should be more balance,” Mr. Spingle said, adding that the new rules are too restrictive.
“This simply will not allow for the development of a commercial fishery. We are in a development phase and we have done a lot of work, but we need to do even more. Fishing is too restrictive and not flexible enough. »
Complicating matters, he says, are the low prices of 30 to 35 cents per pound for redfish and the high cost of fuel, which he says will leave inshore fishermen with “little advantage.”
He suggests forming a working group “to find a solution”.
Mr. Spingle and Mr.me Schijns both agree that there is uncertainty in the market due to the small size of redfish found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Currently, they are generally 30 centimeters or less. Canada has set the minimum length at 22 centimeters. Before the stock collapse in 1995, the fish measured 35 to 40 centimeters.
Rockfish, a hard, spiny-jawed fish sometimes called “ocean perch,” produces a light-colored fillet that is traditionally popular in American and Asian markets. They are also used as bait for fishing for lobster, crab and other shellfish.