The fall quota for the herring fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence has been reduced by two thousand tonnes in an effort to increase the fish stock.
In a statement released on Friday, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says the total allowable catch in the region has been reduced from 12,000 to 10,000 tonnes.
The federal department says reduced catches for fishermen in parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and all of Prince Edward Island will help reduce pressure on the quantity of herring .
It says that with declining numbers of adult spawning fish, more stringent management measures are needed to help the herring stock “reach maturity, reproduce and recover”.
Efforts to help restore the herring basin in the Gulf continue, with the total allowable catch increasing from 22,500 tonnes in 2019 to 12,000 tonnes in 2020 and 2021.
The department said it will begin consultations with fishers, Indigenous communities and other partners to rebuild the herring population in a responsible manner, including taking into account the impact of predators such as seals on the number of fish.
“The southern Gulf of St. Lawrence fall herring stock has been in decline for more than a decade, further action is needed to protect this stock, so fishers can continue to fish for it in the near future. and distant,” said federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray.
“By reducing fishing pressure and getting a head start on a rebuilding plan, we are giving more spawning fish the best chance to continue to grow and reproduce, which I hopes, will lead to positive changes. »
The department says that in addition to fishing pressure, the quantity of herring is affected by high natural mortality, declining weight-at-age and changes in the environment.
Herring is an important food source for other species, including bluefin tuna and Atlantic cod.