Canada’s commercial fishery for redfish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has remaind closed since 1995 to allow redfish stocks rebuild to healthy levels. Now the authorities are positioning to re-open the Unit 1 redfish commercial fishery in Atlantic Canada and Quebec in the near future.
The announcement has been made by Minister of Fisheries Joyce Murray that in preparation for a pending commercial fishery, the 2023 experimental fishery for Unit 1 redfish will be increased from 2500 to 5000 tonnes.
‘The rebound of redfish stocks is a true success story, and shows how conservation efforts are critical to maintaining fisheries. I’m looking forward to working with stakeholders in Atlantic Canada and Quebec to promote a prosperous and sustainable commercial fishery,’ the Minister commented.
Due to strong survival rates in 2011, 2012, and 2013, the biomass in Unit 1 has grown substantially to reach an average volume of 2.8 million tonnes for S. mentella and 420,000 tonnes for S. fasciatus.
The experimental fishery, which has been in place since 2018, provides important data on redfish stocks and gives participating harvesters the opportunity to test sustainable fishing gear that protect the stock, such as gear that minimises capture of undersized fish.
This year, Fisheries and Oceans Canada received unprecedented interest in the Unit 1 Redfish experimental fishery. Twenty-four individuals and groups from Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have been approved to participate, five of which are Indigenous groups.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada states that it will work closely with stakeholders, through the Redfish Advisory Committee (RAC), to finalise the next steps in operationalising the commercial fishery.
